LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

Keceived  ^^HiMc/         ^^9^^ . 

Accession  No.  /^^  /  /  3  ^  ■    C7ti5i  A'a. 

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XLbc  XHniversit^  of  CbicaQO 

FOUNDED  BV  JOHN  D.  ROCKEFELLER 


TRANSPORTATION 


ON  THE 


GREAT  LAKES  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


A    DISSERTATION  SUBMITTED    TO    THE    FACULTIES     OF    THE    GRADUATE 

SCHOOLS  OF  ARTS,   LITERATURE,  AND  SCIENCE,   IN  CANDIDACY 

FOR    THE    DEGREE     OF    DOCTOR     OF    PHILOSOPHY 

DEPARTMENT    OF    POLITICAL    ECONOMY 


BY 

GEORGE  GERARD  TUNELL 


[IJOi'SE  DOC,  NO.  277,  FIFTY-FIFTH  CONGRESS,  SECOND  SESSION] 

1S98 


^ 


7-i  /  /3 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART  I.    Introduction Page  2 

Growth  of  traffic  upon  the  lakes      ..---.-.  2 

(a)  As  shown  by  the  commerce  through  the  Detroit  River  -        -  3 

(b)  As  shown  by  the  growth  of  the  lake  fleet 3 

(c)  As  directly  shown  by  the  statistics  .-----  6 
Development  of  commerce  on  the  main  divisions  of  lake  system  -  -  7 
Striking  facts  concerning  character  of  lake  transportation       -         -  8 

Changes  in  lake  vessels -----  12 

Discussion  of  freight  rates            - 16 

Arrangement  of  statistical  matter     -  ^ 18 

APPENDIX  I.     Tables  of  Statistics. 

(a)  A  valuation  of  the  data  furnished  by  Treasury  and  War  Depart- 
ments            -         -          -          -         -         - 19 

(b)  Traffic  through  Detroit  River 20 

(c)  Traffic  through  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal 22 

(d)  Tcmnage  tables 26 

(e)  Freight  rates   -        -        -        - 28 

PART  II.      Flour  and  Grain  Traffic 30 

Importance  of  the  water  routes 30 

How  the  railroads  became  competitors    -------  30 

Lake  and  rail  traffic  eastward  from  Chicago 34 

Total  east-bound  traffic            -          -        -        - 38 

Traffic  through  the  gulf  ports        --------  48 

APPENDIX  II.     Tables  relating  TO  THE  Flour  AND  Grain  Traffic      -  52 

P-\RT  III.     Lake  Transportation  and  the  Iron-ore  Industry  -         -  60 

Substitution  of  Lake  Superior  for  other  ore             -----  61 

Superiority  of  Lake  Superior  ores        -------  64 

Ore  found  in  favorable  conditions             - 65 

Highly  developed  facilities  of  transportation,  decks,  etc.  -         -         -  69 

Freight  rates -         .         -         -         -         -  71 

APPENDIX  III.    Tables  rel.a,ting  to  Lake  Transportation  and  the 

I  RON -ORE  Industry -  72 


PART  IV.     Coal  Traffic. 

Growth  of  the  traffic 80 

Shipping  and  distributing  ports  -        - 80 

Competition  of  the  lake  and  rail  carriers 82 

Development  of  dock  facilities  for  handling  coal                 ...  §4 

Freight  rates  on  coal          -          -                 - 86 

APPENDIX  IV.     Tables  relating  to  the  Coal  Traffic  -        -        .  87 

P.\RT  V.     Lumber  Business  and  Lake  Transportation         -        -        -  94 

Decline  in  the  movement  of  lumber 94 

Explanation  of  this  decline 94 

Significance  of  change  from  pine  to  hardwood 96 

Methods  of  handling  lumber  at  dockB      -.-----  97 

The  "lumber  fleet" -  97 

Early  exhaustion  of  pine 98 

Exhaustion  of  pine  doubly  important  because  of  its  secondary  effects  99 

APPENDIX  V.     Tables  relating  to  the  Lumber  Traffic   -        -        -  100 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT      -        -        -  • 106 


orni  Congress,  )  HOUSE  OF  EEPRESENTATIVES.  (  Document 
3(1  Session.       (  (     ISTo.  277. 


STATISTICS  OF  LAKE  COMMERCE. 


LETTER 

THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY, 

THAXS:\IITTIXG 

A  REPORT  MADE  TO  THE  BUREAU  OF  STATISTICS  BY  MR.  GEORGE 
Gr.  TUNELL.  OF  CHICAGO,   ON  LAKE  COMMERCE. 


February  3, 1898. — Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Interstate  aud  Foreign  Commerce 
and  ordered  to  be  printed. 


Treasury  Department, 

Office  of  the  Secretary, 
Washmgton,  B:  C,  February  r],  1898. 
The  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives: 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  a  repo-  *■■  made  to  tbe  Bureau  of  Statistics, 
Treasury  Department,  on  the  commerce  of  the  Great  Lakes.  This 
report  was  i)repare(l  by  Mr.  George  G.  Tunell,  of  Chicago,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Bureau  of  Statistics,  and  embodies  the  first  serious, 
attempt  to  describe  statistically  this  important  branch  of  the  domestic 
commerce  of  the  United  States.  I  can  not  too  strongly  urge  the  expedi- 
ency of  making  this  commerce  a  subject  of  annual  record  and  investiga- 
tion. The  statistics  of  railway  transportation  have  become  a  recognized 
branch  of  the  Government  statistical  service;  but  the  necessary  com- 
plement, the  movement  of  merchandise  on  lakes,  rivers,  and  canals, 
has  been  neglected. 

Compared  with  the  shipping  tonnag:e  employed  in  the  foreign  com- 
merce of  the  United  States,  the  activity  of  the  lake  shipping  is  far 
greater.  The  bulk  of  transactions  in  the  lake-carrying  interests  is  so 
large  as  to  rank  it  among  the  great  conveyers  of  the  world.  The  con- 
centrathni  upon  a  small  number  of  commodities,  as  well  as  in  a  few 
companies,  appears  to  make  statistical  records  coniparatively  simple. 
On  the  important  economic  influences  of  this  trade  I  need  not  dwell. 
They  are  of  vital  importance  in  feeding  domestic  industries  and  in 
permitting  a  further  extension  of  American  commercial  interests  in 
foreign  markets.  These  influences  are  becoming*  stronger  each  year, 
and  I  believe  the  time  has  come  when  they  should  be  made  subject  to 
official  record,  in  order  that  they  may  be  intelligently  studied  and 
directed  so  as  to  produce  the  highest  benefits  to  the  industrial  and 
commercial  interests  of  the  LTnited  States. 
Respectfully,  yours, 

L.  J.  Gage,  Secretary. 


LAKE  COMMERCE. 


[Prepared  under  tlic  direction  of  tlic  Bureau  of  Statistics,  Treasury  Department,  by  (ieorjfe  <J.  Tunell.] 


TRANSPORTATION  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 
INTRODUCTION. 

Many  circiiinstauces  have  recently  directed  attention  to  the  transpor- 
tation facilities  of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  ra])id  growth  of  lake  traltic, 
the  increasing  size  of  lake  vessels,  the  rapidity  with  which  ships  are 
loaded  and  unloaded,  and  other  developments  of  a  similar  nature  have 
interested  the  curious,  while  the  vital  significance  of  cheap  carriage  to 
the  mining,  farming,  and  lumbering  interests,  and  to  their  numerous 
dependent  industries,  has  compelled  the  people  engaged  in  all  these 
occupations  to  give  careful  consideration  to  the  questions  of  lake  ship- 
ping; and  the  whole  subject  of  inland  waterways  has  been  forced 
upon  the  attention  of  men  in  public  life  by  the  appeals  that  have  been 
made  to  Congress  for  large  appropriations  to  immediately  improve 
existing  harbors  and  channels  and  for  the  speedy  construction  of  a  deep 
waterway  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  sea.  I>ut,  notwithstanding  this 
widesiu'ead  desire  for  information  about  the  commerce  on  the  lakes  and 
its  far-reaching  importance  to  several  of  our  great  national  industries, 
lake  transportation  has  been  well-nigh  neglected,  not  only  by  writers 
on  transportation,  but  by  our  Government  as  well;  and  this  in  the  face 
of  the  fact  that  Congress  is  annually  called  upon  to  vote  large  sums  of 
money  to  facilitate  trafllic  upon  these  waters. 

j^ot  until  the  Eleventh  Census  was  taken  were  full  statistics  gathered 
of  the  movement  of  commodities  upon  the  whole  lake  system,'  and 
since  then  (1889)  nothing  in  the  way  of  a  comprehensive  report  has 
been  made  or  even  satisfactory  data  collected.^  This  being  the  situa- 
tion, all  hope  of  satisfactorily  setting  forth  the  development  of  lake 
commerce  in  all  its  aspects  may  as  well  at  once  be  abandoned.  In  fact, 
the  data  are  so  meager  and  in  part  so  unreliable  that  it  is  exceedingly 
difficult  even  to  set  forth  the  growth  of  the  total  movement  on  the  lakes. 
As  has  already  been  stated,  no  statistics  of  the  traftic  moved  on  the 
whole  lake  system  can  be  obtained  i)revious  to  the  year  1889. 

iJii  1852  a  special  report  was  submitted  to  Congress,  entitled  "Andrews'  Report  on 
Colonial  and  Lake  Trade,"  but  this  report  leaves  much  to  be  desired,  and  l>esides  the 
period  considered  antedates  that  of  this  report.  From  this  early  date  nothing  com- 
prehensive was  attempted  until  the  Tenth  Census  was  taken,  and  even  then  only 
commodities,  carried  in  steam  vessels  were  covered,  and  this  portion  of  the  subject 
was  not  fully  treated.  The  liulk  of  this  report  was  devoted  to  ship1)uilding  and  to 
the  fleets  and  but  little  space  given  to  the  commerce  moved. 

2  See  Appendix  I  for  a  critical  examination  of  the  data  furnished  by  the  Treasury 
and  War  Departments.     Mr.  C.  H.  Keep's  report  of  1891  will  there  be  discussed. 
2 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  3 

YoY  the  later  years  we  have  nothing  but  the  reports  of  the  Chief 
of  Engineers.^  In  the  earlier  years,  however,  the  commerce  passing 
through  the  Detroit  IJiver  was  very  nearly  equal  to  the  total  movement 
on  the  lakes,  and  thus  jiretty  accurately  retiected  the  development  of 
commerce  on  the  whole  system,  and  it  is  therefore  a  cause  for  sincere 
regret  that  we  do  not  possess  full  statistics  of  the  traftic  moved  through 
this  channel.-  Tn  recent  years  business  between  Lake  Superior  and 
Lake  Michigan  ports  has  largely  increased,  with  the  result  that  the 
commerce  through  the  Detroit  River  is  not  now  so  good  an  index  of 
the  whole  movement  on  the  lakes  as  formerly.  The  growth  of  com- 
merce on  the  Great  Lakes,  as  retiected  by  the  amount  of  traffic  passing- 
through  the  Detroit  River,  is  disclosed  by  the  following  figures,  which, 
have  for  the  most  part  been  taken  from  the  reports  of  Col.  O.  M.  Poe, 
Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.  The  statement  covers  the  traffic  passing 
both  up  and  down  the  river: 

Commerce  mored  tlrrough  the  Detroit  Bher.a 


1883 
1884 
1885 


Eegistered      Freight 
tonnage.       tonnage. 


20,  285,  249 
17,  572,  240 
17,872,182 

17.  695. 17-t 

18,  U4.5,  949 
16.  777,  828 
]  8,  968,065 

18,  864, -250 

19,  099,  060 


Registered 
tonnage. 


1889 

19,  646, 000 

1891 

22, 160, 000 
24,  785,  000 

1893 

1894 

26, 120.  000 

1895 

1896 i 

Freight 
tonnage. 


19, 717,  860 
21, 750. 913 
28,  209,  619 
26, 553,  819 
23, 091,  899 
24, 263,  868 
/25,  845,  679 
129,000,000 
27, 900,  520 


a  See  Appendix  I  for  the  sources  of  these  figures. 

Assuming  now  that  these  figures  are  approximately  correct  and  that 
they  all  vary  to  the  same  extent  and  in  the  same  direction,  we  find  that 
there  has  been  a  substantial  increase  in  the  traffic  passing  through  the 
Detroit  River.  The  traffic  statistics  show  that  there  was  a  rapid  in- 
crease from  1873  to  1880,  but  that  during  the  decade  ending  with  the 
year  1889  there  was  absolutely  no  growth.  Inferences  from  these  fig- 
ures, however,  should  be  drawn  very  cautiously.  I  am  forced  to  be- 
lieve that  either  the  figures  for  187."3  or  those  for  1880  are  incorrect.  I 
am  of  the  opinion  that  the  remarkable  development  of  traffic  from  1873 
to  1880  did  not  take  place. 

In  discussing  the  points  just  raised  I  shall  present  what  upon  the 
whole  must  be  regarded  as  the  most  satisfactory  evidence  we  have  of 
the  growth  of  traffic  upon  the  Great  Lakes.  It  is  the  growth  of  the 
lake  fleet.  We  have  statistics  of  the  tonnage  of  the  lake  fleet  from 
the  year  1868,  and  their  accuracy  can  not  be  impugned. '  On  one  side 
changes  in  the  volume  of  traffic  would  be  reflected  slowly  by  the  size 
of  the  fleet.    If  traffic  decreased  the  fleet  would  not  at  once  decline,  for 


'Ttiese  reports  are  based  on  the  data  collected  by  the  custom-liouse  officials.  No 
attempt  is  made  to  give  the  commerce  for  the  whole  lake  system— simply  the  total 
number  of  clearances,  Avith  the  total  registered  tonnage. 

-This  was  true  because  there  was  very  little  local  traffic  on  the  lakes,  and  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  long-di.stance  traffic  passed  through  this  channel.  In  1889  the 
cargo  tonnage  carried  through  the  river  in  American  vessels  was  19,717,860  tons, 
while  the  shipments  from  all  American  lake  ports  aggregated  but  25,027,717  tons. 
(Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part  II,  pp.  27.5,  308.) 

'That  is,  they  are  what  they  purport  to  be.  All  rigged  craft,  however,  are  classed 
with  the  sailing  vessels,  and  consequently  many  vessels  that  are  really  barges  are 
classed  as  sailing  vessels.     This  is  to  be  regretted. 


4  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

the  vshii)s  would  be  in  existence  and  could  not  be  put  to  other  uses  or 
removed  from  the  lakes. 

If,  however,  business  fell  ofi'  for  a  few  years  in  succession,  the  ton- 
nage of  the  fleet  would  surely  be  reduced.  As  the  old  ships  became 
unseaworthy  or  as  vessels  were  wrecked,  new  ones  would  not  be  built 
to  take  their  places,  and  the  tonnage  would  gradually  decline,  for  ])eo- 
pie  do  not  put  money  in  a  losing  venture.  An  increase  of  traffic,  unlike 
a  decrease,  is  quickly  reflected  by  accessions  to  the  fleet.  Years  of 
heavy  traffic  are  always  prosperous  years  for  the  shipyards.  It  then 
appears  that  when  the  fleet  is  on  the  decline  or  stationary  it  may  be 
inferred  that  there  has  been  no  growth  of  traffic,  and  that  when  the 
fleet  is  growing  business  is  increasing. 

In  order  to  present  the  variations  in  the  tonnage  of  the  fleet  in  such 
a  way  that  the  changes  and  the  whole  movement  can  be  easily  and 
clearl}-  apprehended,  the  figures  have  been  charted.'  The  relative 
amounts  of  sail,  steam,  and  barge  tonnage  must  be  noted,  for  on  the 
lakes  a  steamer  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  do  two  and  one-fourth  times 
the  work  of  a  sail  vessel  of  like  tonnage.-  The  barges  make  as  good 
time  as  the  steamers  that  tow  them,  so  the  carrying  x)Ower  of  the  barge 
tonnage  is  also  much  greater  than  a  like  amount  of  sail  tonnage.  The 
efiective  carrying  power  of  all  the  vessels  has  been  largely  increased 
by  the  improved  facilities  that  have  been  introduced  for  loading  and 
unloading  vessels. 

From  the  chart  just  mentioned,  which  may  be  found  on  the  page 
opposite,  it  appears  that  from  18G8  to  1872  the  lake  fleet  did  not  quite 
maintain  its  own,  and  then  made  rapid  gains  untd  1875,  when  the  total 
tonnage  stood  at  587,234  tons.  From  this  high  point  the  tonnage 
steadily  declined  until  1879,  when  it  stood  at  552,002  tons.  The  next 
year  the  tonnage  increased  to  557,942  tons  and  during  the  two  following 
years  jumped  to  048,815  tons  and  then  increased  slowly  until  18S(),  being 
but  090,359  tons  in  that  year.  At  about  this  time  the  new  era  in  lake 
transportation  began  ;  the  long  stupor  that  had  come  over  the  lake  car- 
riers was  broken  and  lake  transportation  was  transformed  from  an  anti- 
quated to  a  modern  industry.  Since  1880  the  tonnage  on  the  lakes  has 
almost  doubled,  large  accessions  having  been  made  every  year,  the  years 
1894  and  1895  excepted.'  The  growth  of  and  changes  in  the  tonnage 
have  now  been  pointed  out,  but  the  extent  to  which  these  alterations 
enlarged  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  lake  fleet  still  remains  to  be  shown. 
As  has  already  been  stated,  it  is  generally  held  that  a  steamer  can  do  two 
and  one  fourth  times  the  work  of  a  sailing  vessel  of  like  tonnage.  It 
is  obvious,  then,  that  special  importance  attaches  to  the  increase  of  this 
kind  of  tonnage,  and  by  the  introduction  of  more  powerful  engines  the 
steamer  itself  became  progressively  a  more  efficient  instrument. 

Improved  facilities  for  fueling,  unloading,  and  loading*  vessels  have 
also  very  greatly  increased  the  carrying  power  of  the  whole  fleet,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  enlarged  carrying  power  due  to  better  locks  aud  the 

The  figures  may  be  found  in  Appendix  I. 

2  On  the  ocean  it  is  generally  held  that  a  steamer  can  do  three  times  the  work  of  a 
sailing  vessel  of  like  tonnage.  The  greater  superiority  of  the  steamer  over  the  jail- 
ing vessel  on  the  ocean  is  due  to  the  fact  that  ocean  voyages  are  generally  longer 
than  lake  voyages,  and  it  is  while  at  sea  that  the  steamer  gains  on  the  sailing  vessel. 
The  sailing  vessel  is  unloaded  just  about  as  rapidly  as  the  steamer. 

3 In  examining  the  chart  two  facts  should  be  kept  in  mind:  (1)  That  the  years 
given  are  the  fiscal  years,  and  therefore  ended  on  the  30th  of  June  of  the  calendar 
year;  and  (2)  that  vessels  are  built  on  contracts  that  freqiiently  call  for  delivery  at 
a  distant  day,  and  so  building  may  continue  for  some  time  after  a  period  of  limited 
traffic  has  set  in. 


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1 

STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  5 

lighting  of  dangerous  channels  so  as  to  permit  passage  by  night.  Mr. 
A.  B.  Wolvin  informs  me  that  fifteen  years  ago  15  or  10  round  trips 
were  considered  a  very  good  season's  work  in  the  ore  business  between 
Lake  Superior  and  Lake  Erie  ports,  whereas  22  round  trips  are  now 
considered  notliing  more  than  a  fair  season's  work.  I  shall  now  show 
how  the  substitution  of  steam  lor  sails,  aud  other  improvements,  have 
enlarged  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  lake  tleet.  In  the  following  esti- 
mates I  have  assumed  that  all  the  improvements  other  than  the  substi- 
tution of  steam  for  sails  have  increased  the  efficiency  of  the  steam 
tonnage  by  75  per  cent.^ 

It  must  be  conceded  that  the  estimates  are  conservative.  In  the 
subjoined  table  accouut  has  been  taken  of  the  greater  carrying  power 
of  steamers  and  other  improvements. 


Tear. 

Sail  and 
barge,  plus 
steam  ton- 
nage, multi- 
plied by  3. 

1      Sail  and 
'  barge,  plus 
Tear.                                steam  ton- 
'  nage,  multi- 
plied by  3. 

742,  286 
721,098 
881,311 
991,  848 
982,  082  , 

1885 1,351,516 

1870 

1889            '          2,058,278 

1890 2,301,335 

1875 

1895      2,912.855 

1880 

1897 1          3,326,592 

This  table  shows  that  the  working  power  of  the  fleet  was  less  in  1870 
than  it  was  in  186S,  but  that  it  increased  rapidly  from  the  former  date 
to  1875,  but  actually  decreased  from  1875  to  18S(f  and  increased  rapidly 
from  1880  to  1885.  '  From  1885  to  1890  the  growth  was  phenomenal,  the 
carrying  power  of  the  fleet  being  almost  doubled  in  a  period  of  live  years. 
Since  1891)  the  capacity  of  the  fleet  has  largely  increased,  in  spite  of 
several  years  of  general  business  depression. 

Now  let  us  return  to  the  statement  of  the  traffic  through  the  Detroit 
Eiver.  Can  9,000,000  tons  for  1S73,  and  20,235,249  tons'^  for  1880,  and 
19,717,860  tons  for  1889  be  considered  as  approximately  correct?  The 
chart  opposite  page  1  shows  that  from  1873  to  1880  there  was  prac- 
tically no  increase  in  the  floating  equipment  on  the  lakes,  the  ton- 
nage in  1873  being  520,811  tons  and  in  1880  but  557,942  tons.  By  the 
table  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  effective  carrying  power  of  the 
fleet  was  increased  by  but  100,000  tons,  steam  having  been  substituted 
only  to  a  limited  extent  for  sails.  ^Yith  an  increase  of  but  37,131  in 
the' gross  tonnage  afloat  on  the  lakes,  could  more  than  twice  the  amount 
of  traffic  be  moved  in  1880  as  was  carried  in  1873 .'  Under  certain  cir- 
cumstances this  feat  would  be  possible.  If  the  season  of  1873  was  an 
unusually  dull  one  and  a  large  portion  of  the  fleet  was  tied  up  for  a  part 
or  the  whole  of  the  season  it  would  be  possible,  with  no  large  accessions 
of  tonnage,  to  carry  twice  the  amount  of  freight  in  another  season.  But 
all  the  facts  we  have  show  that  the  year  1873  was  more  than  a  fairly 
good  season.  Eates,  while  not  so  high  as  during  the  preceding  season, 
were  nevertheless  well  maintained;  the  traffic  through  the  St.  Marys 
Falls  Canal  was  large,  shipments  of  flour  and  grain  from  Chicago  and 
Milwaukee  were  heavy,  and  the  receipts  of  these  commodities  at  Buff'alo 

'  It  seemed  l>est  to  me  to  make  the  increase  of  steam  tonuage  the  basis  of  the 
estimate,  for  the  other  improvements  in  a  rough  way  went  hand  in  hand  with  the 
increase  of  this  tonnage. 

-  It  is  to  be  noted  that  it  has  been  accepted  that  the  freight  tonnage  for  1880  Avas  at 
least  tMinal  to  the  registered  tonnage  passing  through  this  channel.  This  assumption 
is  generally  conceded  to  be  entirely  safe. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  O 

ligliting-  of  dangerous  cluiiniels  so  as  to  permit  passage  by  iiiglit.  Mr. 
A.  B.  Wolviii  iiiforius  me  that  fifteen  years  ago  15  or  10  round  trips 
were  considered  a  very  good  season's  work  in  the  ore  business  between 
Lake  Superior  and  Lake  Erie  ports,  whereas  22  round  trips  are  now 
considered  nothing  more  tlian  a  fair  season's  work.  I  shall  now  show 
how  the  substitution  of  steam  lor  sails,  and  other  improvements,  have 
enlarged  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  lake  fleet.  In  the  following  esti- 
mates I  have  assumed  that  all  the  improvements  other  than  the  substi- 
tution of  steam  for  sails  have  increased  the  efficiency  of  the  steam 
tonnage  by  75  per  cent.' 

It  must  be  conceded  that  the  estimates  are  conservative.  In  the 
subjoined  table  account  has  been  taken  of  the  greater  carrying  power 
of  steamers  and  other  improvements. 


Year. 

Sail  and 
barge,  pliis 
steam  ton- 
nage, multi- 
plied by  3. 

Tear. 

Sail  and 
barge,  plus 
steam  ton- 
nage, multi- 
plied by  3. 

1868 

742,  28« 
721,098 
881,311 
991,  848 
982,  032 

1885  

1,  351,  516 

1889 

2,  058,  278 

1873 

1890 

2,  301,  335 

1875 

1895 

2, 912,  855 

3,  326,  592 

This  table  shows  that  the  working  power  of  the  fleet  was  less  in  1870 
than  it  was  in  186S,  but  that  it  increased  rapidly  from  the  former  date 
to  1875,  but  actually  decreased  from  1875  to  1880^  and  increased  rapidly 
from  1880  to  1885.  From  1885  to  1890  the  growth  was  phenomenal,  the 
carrying  power  of  the  fleet  being  almost  doubled  in  a  period  of  five  years. 
Since  1890  the  capacity  of  the  fleet  has  largely  increased,  in  spite  of 
several  years  of  general  business  depression. 

Now  let  us  return  to  the  statement  of  the  traffic  through  the  Detroit 
Eiver.  Can  9,000,000  tons  for  1S7;5,  and  20,235,249  tons^  for  1880,  and 
19,717,860  tons  for  1889  be  considered  as  approximately  correct?  The 
chart  opposite  page  1  shows  that  from  1873  to  1880  there  was  prac- 
tically no  increase  in  the  floating  equipment  on  the  lakes,  the  ton- 
nage ill  1873  being  520,811  tons  and  in  1880  but  557,912  tons.  By  the 
table  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  effective  carrying  power  of  the 
fleet  was  increased  by  but  100,000  tons,  steam  having  been  substituted 
only  to  a  limited  extent  for  sails.  With  an  increase  of  but  37,131  in 
the  gross  tonnage  afloat  on  tlie  lakes,  could  more  than  twice  the  amount 
of  traffic  be  moved  in  1880  as  was  carried  in  1873  ?  Under  certain  cir- 
cumstances this  feat  would  be  possible.  If  the  season  of  1873  was  an 
unusually  dull  one  and  a  large  portion  of  the  fleet  was  tied  up  for  a  part 
or  the  whole  of  the  season  it  would  be  possible,  with  no  large  accessions 
of  tonnage,  to  carry  twice  the  amount  of  freight  in  another  season.  But 
all  the  facts  we  have  show  that  the  year  1873  was  more  than  a  fairly 
good  season.  Kates,  while  not  so  high  as  during  the  preceding  season, 
were  nevertheless  well  maintained;  the  traffic  through  the  St.  Marys 
Falls  Canal  was  large,  shipments  of  flour  and  grain  from  Chicago  and 
Milwaukee  were  heavy,  and  the  receipts  of  these  commodities  at  Buffalo 

'It  seemed  hest  to  me  to  make  the  increase  of  steam  tonnage  the  basivS  of  the 
estimate,  foi-  the  other  improvements  in  a  rough  way  went  hand  in  hand  with  the 
increase  of  this  tonnage. 

-It  is  to  be  noted  that  it  has  been  accepted  that  the  freight  tonnage  for  1880  was  at 
least  equal  to  the  registered  tonnage  passing  through  this  channel.  This  assumption 
is  generally  conceded  to  be  entirely  safe. 


6  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

were  fully  up  to  the  average.  Eigliteeu  hundred  aud  seventy-three  was 
a  panic  year,  to  be  sure;  but  business  in  general  was  good  up  to  the 
time  of  the  crash,  which  did  not  come  until  well  along  in  the  autumn. 
This,  then,  being  the  situation,  it  becomes  difticult  to  understand  how, 
if  a  fleet  of  520,811  tons  was  kept  busy,  in  1873  in  moving  9,000,000  tons 
of  freight  one  of  557,942  tons  could  have  succeeded  in  moving  over 
20,000,000  tons  in  1880. 

A  comparison  of  the  statistics  of  the  traffic  through  the  Detroit 
Eiver  for  the  decade  ending  in  1889  and  the  growth  of  the  lake  fleet 
during  the  same  interval  seems  to  discredit  the  traffic  statistics.  In 
1880  the  registered  tonnage  passing  through  the  river  was  20,235,219 
tons  and  the  tonnage  of  the  lake  fleet  was  557,912  gross  tons.^  During 
the  succeeding  ten  years  the  registered  tonnage  never  in  any  one  year 
equaled  this  amount,  and  stood  at  19,01(5,000  tons  in  1889,-  the  year  of 
largest  traffic.  The  tonnage  of  the  lake  fleet,  on  the  other  hand,  stead- 
ily increased  from  557,942  gross  tons  in  1880  to  907, (iOl  gross  tons  in 
1889,  and  the  effective  carrying  capacity  grew  from  982,032  tons  to 
2,058,278  tons,  or  much  more  than  doubled.  These  diverse  facts  are 
difficult  to  harmoni/e.  It  can  not  be  ottered  in  exj)lanation  that  only  a 
small  part  of  the  traffic  on  the  lakes  found  its  way  through  the  Detroit 
River  in  1889,  for  the  traffic  of  this  river  stood  in  about  the  same  rela- 
tion to  the  total  traffic  on  the  lakes  in  1889  as  it  did  in  1880.  Some 
change  had  taken  place,  but  it  was  not  great.  Since  1889  the  Detroit 
River  has  been  progressively  a  poorer  indication  of  the  total  traffic  on 
the  lakes,  but  still  stands  to-day  as  a  pretty  good  index. 

What  the  growth  of  traffic  upon  the  whole  lake  system  has  been  since 
1873  has  now  been  shown  in  indirect  ways.  In  conclusion,  I  shall  pre- 
sent the  scant  facts  we  have  showing  directly  the  development  of  com- 
merce upon  the  whole  system.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  it  was 
not  until  the  Eleventh  Census  was  taken  that  the  total  volume  of  goods 
moved  on  all  kinds  of  vessels  was  ascertained.  The  total  amount  of 
shipments  from  American  lake  ports  for  the  last  census  year  (1889)  was 
25,027,717  net  tons.  The  registered  tonnage  that  cleared  from  all  the 
collection  districts  on  the  chain  of  lakes  for  the  year  1893  was  34,571,208 
tons;'  for  the  year  1894  37,565,229  tons,  ^  for  the  year  1895  44,295,861 
tons,-^  and  for  the  year  1896  53,265,572  tons.'' 

As  a  rule  the  cargo  tonnage  is  in  excess  of  the  registered  tonnage." 
If  it  be  assumed  that  the  cargo  tonnage  was  just  eijual  to  the  registered 
tonnage,  there  was  a  gain  in  the  five-year  period  under  consideration  in 
the  goods  movement  on  the  whole  lake  system  of  12,537,512  tons  and 
for  the  seven-year  period  a  gain  of  28,237,855  tons,  which  represents  a 

^To  make  this  grand  total  every  registered  ton  on  the  lakes  would  have  to  pass 
through  the  Detroit  River  36.2  times,  or  a  liftle  oftener  than  once  a  week,  for  a  season 
of  eight  months. 

-As  given  bv  the  census,  the  freight  tonnage  for  1889  was  19,717,860  tons. 

3  Annual  Report  Chief  of  Engineers,  1894,  p.  2378. 

■•Ibid.,  1895,  p.  3068. 

•Ibid.,  1896,  pp.  2895,2896.  Figures  for  1894  and  1895  do  not  incliule  Canadian 
tonnage;  the  report  for  the  year  1893  leaves  the  point  iu  doubt. 

'These  iigures  were  kindly  furnished  by  Lieut.  Col.  G.  .7.  Lydecker,  the  Govern- 
ment engineer  in  charge  of  the  improvements  of  the'  Detroit  River. 

"  In  the  case  of  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  the  freight  tonnage  has  been  considerably 
in  excess  of  the  registered  tonnage.  Lieut.  J.  B.  Cavanagh,  in  a  report  to  Brig.  Gen. 
William  P.  Craighill,  Chief  Engineer,  says:  "Since  18«5  the  freight  tonnage  has 
exceeded  the  registered  tonnage  on  an  average  by  about  8  per  cent."  (House  Doc. 
No.  110,  Fifty-fourth  Congress,  first  session.)  The  figures  covering  the  commerce  of 
the  Detroit  River  also  show  that  the  cargo  tonnage  usually  exceeds  the  registered 
tonnage. 


STATISTICS    OF.    LAKE    COMMERCE.  7 

gain  for  the  shorter  period  of  a  tritie  more  than  50  per  cent  and  for  the 
longer  period  of  112.8  per  cent.  In  1889  all  the  railroads  in  the  United 
States  carried  019,105,030  tons  of  goods,  and  in  1894  074,714,747  tons, 
and  in  1890  773,808,710  tons.'  There  was  thus  in  live  years  a  gain  of 
55,549,117  tons,  a  trifle  more  than  9  per  cent,  and  in  seven  years  a  gain 
of  154,703,080  tons,  or  24.9  per  cent.  The  comparison,  therefore,  is 
very  favorable  to  the  lakes. 

As  all  the  data  have  now  been  presented  showing  the  growth  of  the 
total  movement  of  commodities  on  the  lakes,  the  development  of  traffic 
upon  the  great  divisions  of  the  lake  system  will  be  considered.  Here 
again  there  is  a  great  dearth  ol"  information,  but  the  situation  is  not  so 
bad  as  it  was  in  the  case  just  considered.  The  problem  must,  however, 
be  approached  in  a  roundabout  way,  for  there  are  no  data  showing  the 
growth  of  the  total  movement  on  any  one  of  the  cliief  divisions  of  the 
lake  system.  The  traffic  on  the  lower  lakes  (Lakes  Brie  and  Ontario) 
is  pretty  accurately  reflected  by  the  movement  of  goods  through  the 
Detroit  River.  This  is  true,  because,  as  has  already  been  said,  the  local 
business  on  the  lakes  is  com[)aratively  insignificant.  The  movement 
through  the  Detroit  lliver  much  more  accurately  indicates  the  total 
traffic  on  the  lower  lakes  than  the  commerce  through  the  river  reflects 
the  aggregate  business  of  the  whole  lake  system,  and  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  the  local  business  is  less  in  a  small  part  than  on  the  whole 
system.  In  1889  there  was  a  total  goods  movement  througii  the  Detroit 
Kiver  in  American  vessels  of  19,717,800  tons,  while  the  total  commerce 
of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  and  the  St.  Lawrence  liiver  in  American 
vessels  was  but  807,125  tons  more,  or  20,524,985  tons.-  If,  now,  it  be 
accepted  that  the  grow^th  of  the  traffic  through  the  Detroit  lliver  may 
be  regarded  as  a  fair  index  of  the  development  of  commerce  on  the 
lower  lakes,  it  is  but  necessary  to  refer  to  the  table,  on  page  3,  of  the 
traffic  passing  through  the  river. 

Just  as  the  Detroit  Kiver  furnished  a  statistical  key  to  the  traffic  on 
the  lower  lakes,  so  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  supplies  a  key  to  the  com- 
merce of  the  Lake  Superior  division  of  the  lake  system.  In  fact,  it 
affords  a  better  one,  for  all  of  the  traffic  going  to  and  coming  from  Lake 
Superior  must  pass  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal,'  while  the  lower 
lakes  have  two  outlets.  There  is  also  less  local  business  on  the  LakGi 
Superior  division,  and  for  this  reason  also  the  "  Soo"  is  a,  l)etter  key  than 
the  Detroit  River.^  As  the  commerce  on  Lake  Superior  has  attained 
large  i)roportions,  the  "Soo"  occupies  a  very  important  position  from  a 
statistical  point  of  view,  and,  fortunately,  there  are  very  full  statistics 
of  the  traffic  moved  through  it  from  the  date  of  its  opening  in  1855.^ 

1  Statistical  Abstract,  1897,  p.  335. 

^  This  amount  is  obtained  by  dividing  by  2  the  difference  between  the  traffic  moved 
through  the  Detroit  Kiver  and  the  sum  of  the  receipts  and  shipments  from  all  ports 
on  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  and  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  In  this  operation  all  com- 
merce i)assing  to  or  from  the  lower  lakes  through  the  Detroit  River  is  regarded  as 
loug-distiince  traffic,  and  the  remainder  (local  traffic)  is  divided  by  2  because  it 
appears  twice — once  as  shipments  and  again  as  receipts.  The  result  thus  obtained 
is  not  to  be  regarded  as  absolutely  correct,  but  it  may  be  taken  as  a  close  approxi- 
mation. 

■'This  gateway  is  commonly  knoA^n  as  the  "Soo" — the  abbreviation  of  the  longer 
name  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  adopted  by  the  .Jesuit  pioneers  of  tlie  seventeenth  century. 

'During  the  year  1889  the  local  traffic  on  Lake  Superior  amounted  to  3.51,997  net 
tons.  This  amount  was  ol)tain('d  by  dividing  by  2  the  difference  b<'tween  tiie  sum 
of  the  shipments  and  receipts  of  Lake  Superior  ports  and  the  tonnnge  of  tlie  "Soo" 
canal. 

"See  comments  on  these  statistics  in  Appendix  I,  part,  1. 


STATISTICvS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


The  following  table,  taken  from  a  re]iort  of  General  Superintendent 
Wheeler,'  shows  the  growth  of  trattic  upon  the  Lake  Superior  division 
of  the  lake  system : 

Commerce  of  ihe  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal. 


Tear,  a 

Registered 
tonnage. 

tlZ^W 

Registered 
tonnage. 

Freight 
tonnage.  6 

106,  296 
101,458 
180,  820 
219,819 
852, 642 
403,  657 
276.  639 
3.59,  612 
507, 434 
571,438 
409, 062 
458, 530 
556,  899 
432.  563 
524,  885 

'    1877  

1, 439, 216 
1,667.136 
1,677,071 
1,734,890 
2,  092,  757 
2,  468,  088 

2,  042,  250 
2,997,837 

3,  035,  937 
4, 219,  397 

4,  897,  598 

5,  130,  659 

7,  221, 935 

8,  454,  435 
8, 400,  685 

10,647,203 
8,  949,  754 
13, 1 10,  366 
16,  806,  781 
17, 249,  418 
17,619,933 

1856 

1878                        

1857 

1879 

1881 

1,  567,  741 

2,  029,  521 

18(51 

1883    

2,  267, 105 

18.S4 

2,  874,  557 

3,  256,  628 

1864 

1886                 

4,  527,  759 

1865 

1887 

5,494  649 

1866 

1888 

6,411,423 

1867 

1889                             

7, 516,  022 

9,  041, 213 

8,  888,  759 

1892 

11,214,333 

752. 101 
014,735 
1,  204,  446 
1,070,857 
1,  269,  534 
1,  541,  676 

10,  796, 572 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1894 

1895 

13, 195,  860 
15  062  580 

1896 

16,239,061 

1897 

18, 982, 755 

1876 

nTho  canal  wa.s  not  opened  until  June  18,  1855.     The  traffic  through  the  Canadian  Canal,  which 
was  opened  to  comineri'e  September  9,  189.5,  is  included  in  the  above  statement  for  1895-97. 
6  Xo  record  was  kept  of  the  cargo  tonnage  until  June,  1881. 

The  very  rapid  growth  of  the  tonnage  jiassing  through  the  St.  Marys 
Falls  Canal  is  in  striking  contrast  with  the  very  slow  increase  of  that 
passing  through  the  Detroit  IJiver.  The  growth  of  the  traffic  through 
the  former  gateway  has  also  been  much  more  uniform  than  that  through 
the  latter.  Since  the  year  1880  bu.siness  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls 
Canal  has  increased  with  surprising  rapidity.  This  has  been  due  for 
the  most  part  to  the  astonishing  development  of  the  iron  mines  of  the 
Lake  Superior  region  during  the  last  fifteen  years.  In  1880  but  077,073 
net  tons  of  iron  ore  were  moved  out  of  Lake  Superior.  Since  1884  the 
business  has  grown  rapidly,  and  during  the  season  of  1805  shipments 
slightly  exceeded  8,000,000  net  tons  and  constituted  a  little  more  than 
one-half  of  the  total  movement  of  freight  through  the  canal.  In  1896 
the  large  business  of  the  previous  year  was  not  realized,  but  the  move- 
ment of  iron  ore  during  the  season  of  1807  surpassed  all  records,  and 
amounted  to  10,r);33,715  net  tons.  Lumber,  grain.  Hour,  and  coal  are 
the  other  items  which  have  made  the  largest  contributions  to  the 
increased  movement. 

There  still  remains  of  the  lake  system  one  division  to  be  considered; 
it  is  formed  by  Lakes  Michigan,  Huron,  and  St.  Clair.  The  growth  of 
commerce  on  this  group  can  not  be  set  forth,  even  approximately.  The 
traffic  through  the  Detroit  River  conveys  some  idea  of  the  develoi)ment 
of  the  business  of  this  group,  but  not  a  very  good  one.  This  is  the 
case  because  the  local  traffic  ui)on  Lake  Michigan  is  too  large  to  be 
ignored,  and  because  there  is  now  a  large  movement  of  iron  ore  and 
lumber  from  the  ports  of  Lake  Superior  to  those  of  Lake  Michigan. 

Several  striking  facts  concerning  the  character  of  lake  transporta- 
tion are  brought  out  by  the  traffic  statistics.  Probably  the  first  to 
arrest  attention  is   the  celerity  with  which  cargoes  are   loaded  and 


'  Mr.  Wheeler  is  the  Government  engineer  in  charge  of  the  canal. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  y 

unloaded.  Instead  of  losing  days  in  receiving-  and  discharging  cargoes, 
as  was  once  the  case,  only  hours  are  now  lost.  Perhaps  this  statement 
is  not  strong  enough,  for  if  averages  could  be  obtained  it  would  proba- 
bly be  found  that  it  does  not  now  require  .so  many  hours  to  load  and 
unload  as  it  did  days  some  years  ago.  Vessels  lose  almost  no  time  at 
the  docks.  It  is  almost  literally  true  that  they  are  constantly  going  or 
coming;  that  is,  they  are  nearly  all  the  time  engaged  in  the  work  for 
which  they  were  designed,  namely,  carrying  goods.  This  great  dis- 
patch is  in  a  large  measure  gained  by  building  vessels  and  docks 
adapted  to  each  other.  It  must  not,  however,  be  understood  that  this 
development  has  reached  its  final  phase,  fur  in  the  handling  of  certain 
commodities  much  yet  remains  to  be  accomplished.  As  the  iron  ore 
business  has  become  concentrated  in  a  few  hands,  with  the  result  that 
the  ore  is  now  conveyed  from  its  natural  bed  in  the  mines  to  the  fur- 
nace by  the  same  party,  it  would  be  expected  that  here  would  be  found 
the  most  harmonious  and  complete  development  of  machinery  for  the 
cheap  and  expeditious  handling  of  freight,  and  such  is  the  case.  The 
docks  have  been  so  constructed  that  ore  may  be  spouted  into  all  the 
hatches  of  the  ship  at  the  same  time,  and  just  recently  a  dock  has  been 
completed  equii>ped  with  such  a  large  number  of  hoists  as  to  permit  ore 
to  be  raised  from  all  of  the  hatches  simultaneously  of  even  the  largest 
vessels.'  Much  i)rogress  has  also  been  made  in  the  expeditious  han- 
dling of  other  commodities,  particularly  coal.- 

Another  change  which  has  materially  reduced  the  time  vessels  lose 
in  i)ort  is  the  new  method  of  fueliisg.  Instead  of  the  vessel  going  to 
the  docks  to  be  coaled,  at  a  great  sacrifice  of  time,  the  fuel  is  now 
brought  alongside  the  vessel  on  a  scow  or  barge  and  put  on  board  while 
the  shi])  is  being  loaded  or  unloaded. 

The  importance  of  these  two  changes  can  not  easily  be  overestimated. 
They  largely  account  for  the  fact  that  while  fifteen  or  sixteen  round  trips 
from  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  to  the  foot  of  Lake  Erie  were  regarded 
as  a  good  season's  average  fifteen  years  ago,  nothing  short  of  twenty- 
two  would  now  be  considered  as  satisfactory  in  the  iron  ore  traffic.  Our 
interest  does  not  center  in  the  mechanical  improvements  that  liave 
made  this  greater  number  of  trips  possible.  It  lies  rather  in  the  influ- 
ence the  larger  number  of  trips  may  have  upoii  the  cost  of  transporta- 
tion and  ultimately  upon  rates,  and  when  these  are  taken  up  in  detail 
the  improvements  that  have  increased  by  more  than  one-third  the 
efl'ective  carrying  power  of  vessels  will  again  be  considered. 

Another  striking  fact  of  lake  traflic  is  its  extreme  simplicity.  It 
is  in  the  main  made  up  of  but  few  commodities.  The  articles  which 
constitute  the  great  bulk — almost  the  whole — of  the  commerce  moved 
are  the  crude  products  of  the  extractive  industries.  The  mines,  the 
forests,  and  the  grain  fields  of  the  territory  about  the  Great  Lakes  are 
the  sources  in  which  the  mass  of  the  traffic  originates.  During  the 
last  census  year  the  three  commodities — iron  ore,  lumber,  and  coal — 
contributed  75.73  per  cent  of  the  tonnage  of  the  lakes,  and  grain  and 
mill  i^roducts  contributed  KLl")  of  the  renuiining  -J4.27  per  cent,  thus 
leaving  but  8. 12, per  cent  undistributed.' 

During  the  navigation  season  of  1896  there  passed  through  the  St. 

1  This  dock  is  located  at  Coimeaut,  aud  is  the  property  of  the  new  mineral  railroad, 
the  Pittsburg,  Besst-nier  and  Lake  Erie. 

-Nothinfj;  more  on  this  point  Avill  be  said  at  this  time,  for  as  each  of  the  leading 
commodities  that  go  to  make  up  lake  commerce  is  studied  the  machinery  used  in 
moving  it  will  be  considered  at  length. 

•^Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Bu.siness,  Part  II,  p.  308. 


10 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Marys  Falls  Canal  16,239,001  net  tons  of  freight.    To  this  amount  iron 
ore,  lumber,  coal,  grain,  and  flour  contributed  15,432,99'3  tons. 

In  a  very  large  measure  the  traffic  of  the  Detroit  Kiver  presents  the 
same  simplicity  as  that  of  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal.  Several  of  the 
articles,  however,  which  were  rather  insigniticant  among  the  commodi- 
ties sent  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  attained  some  degree  of 
imi^ortance  among  the  items  of  freight  passing  through  the  Detroit 
River.  During  the  navigation  season  of  1805  iron  ore  and  finished 
iron,  coal,  grain  and  flour,  and  lumber  (not  including  logs)  contributed 
23,104,239  tons  to  the  25,81.5,079  net  tons  of  freight  passing  through 
the  river.  In  order  to  more  clearly  set  forth  the  simplicity  of  lake 
traffic  a  detailed  statement  of  the  commerce  passing  through  these 
two  channels  will  be  inserted. 

Sttitenicnt  of  the  freight  traffic  throtigh  the  St.  Mar>/is  Falls  Canal  for  tlie  season  of  t896.a 


Total       1 

trnffi.<  I 


Coal uettous..  3,  023,  :i40 

Flour barrels..  8,882,858 

Wheat bushels . .  C3,  256,  463 

Graiu,  exc'Iudiii};  wheat ilo 27,448,071 

Mamiiactured  and  pig  iron  .net  tons. .  121,  872 

Salt barrels..  237,515 


(."opper net  tons. 

Iron  ore do... 

Lumber Mfeet.B.M. 

Silver  ore,  in  bullion net  tou.s. 

Buildiug  stone do... 

Uuclassiflod  freight do. .  . 


Total 
tratlic. 


116,872 
7,  909, 250 
684,  986 
240 
17,  731 
520,851 


a  The  commerce  passing  through  the  Canadian  Canal  is  included. 

Commerce  of  the  Detroit  Biver  during  the  season  of  1S95,  comprising  staples  only,  and  onhj 
such  staples  as  were  shipped  on  vessels  that  cleared  from  United  Slates  ports. a 


Commodity. 

Amount. 

Net  tons. 

8, 451, 688 

107, 147 

7,  834,  942 

100 

347,  000 

barrels.. 

711,078 

59,  425, 842 

11, 536,  246 

47.334,981 

39, 1 16,  202 

3,410,451 

703,  078 

199,170,000 

165  734 

95,  000,  000 

1, 098, 649,  400 

009,  000 

106,  677 

Wheat 

bushels.. 

1, 865,  735 

1, 153,  620 

bushels.. 

1,314,463 

Rye,  barley,  and  oats 

Flax  and  grass  seed 

Salt 

do.... 

do.... 

.  .barrels.. 

844, 791 
77,516 
98,  000 

Shingles  and  lath  s 

Telegraph  poles 

pieces.. 

do.... 

. . .  feet,  B.  M 

50,  000 
42,  000 
152,  500 

do.... 

1.639,000 

Provisions 

Unclassified  freight 

hogsheads.. 

130,  500 
1,  630,  000 

25,  845,  679 

a  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  1896,  Part  V,  pp.  2895-2896. 


Another  of  the  conspicuous  features  of  lake  transportation  is  the 
great  preponderance  of  east-bound  over  westbound  tonnage.  In  1890 
the  total  east-bound  traffic  through  the  Detroit  River  in  American  ves- 
sels was  15,070,156  net  tons,  while  the  west-bound  traffic  was  but 
6,080,757  net  tous.^ 

Although  the  excess  of  east-bound  over  west-bound  is  very  large  in 
the  case  of  the  Detroit  River,  it  is  still  more  characteristic  of  the  traf- 

i  Internal  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  1891,  p.  xxxix.  This  is  the  latest  year 
for  which  we  have  official  statistics  which  distinguish  between  east  and  west-bound 
traffic  passing  through  the  Detroit  River. 


STATISTICS    OP    l.AKE    COMMERCE.  11 

tic  passing-  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal;  moreover,  present  indi- 
cations go  to  show  that  the  equilibrium  will  be  still  further  disturbed, 
for  the  east-bound  movement  through  the  oanal  has  recently  been 
increasing  at  a  more  rapid  rate  than  the  west-bound.  For  the  naviga- 
tion season  of  1896,  the  east-bound  commerce  passing  through  the 
LTnited  States  and  Canadian  canals  at  the  Falls  of  St.  ]Mary  amounted 
to  12,737,0(Jii  net  tons,  while  the  west-bound  tonnage  was  but  3,501,999 
net  tons,'  or  somewhat  more  tliau  one  fourth  of  the  east-bound. 

The  difference  in  volume  between  the  east  and  west  bound  movements 
is  not  so  great  in  the  case  of  the  business  to  and  from  Lake  Michigan 
as  it  is  in  the  case  of  the  other  lakes.  The  great  disparity  which 
exists  between  the  east  and  west  bound  commerce  on  the  lake  system, 
as  a  whole,  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  as  a  nation  we  ship  by  all 
routes  much  more  freight  to  the  Bast  tliau  we  receive  from  the  East. 
Inequality  of  east  and  west  bound  shipments  is  not  peculiar  to  lake 
transportation;  it  also  characterizes  railroad  traffic.  This  dispropor- 
tion is  explained  by  the  fact  that  in  exchange  for  its  heavy  products 
of  the  mine,  field,  and  forest,  the  West  receives  the  manufactured 
products  of  the  East  and  of  foreign  countries.  The  finished  products 
received  in  exchange  do  not  of  course  even  remotely  approach  the 
crude  products  in  weight  and  bulk. 

Local  traffic  on  the  Great  Lakes  is  comparatively  insignificant, 
i^early  the  whole  of  the  commerce  moved  is  carried  from  one  end  of  the 
lake  system  to  the  other.  About  four-fifths  of  the  iron  ore  mined  in 
the  Lake  Superior  region  is  trans]>orted  to  Lake  Erie  ports,  and  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  remaining  fifth  is  taken  to  Milwaukee  and  Chicago. 
The  shipments  for  the  year  1S9()  amounted  to  9,934,440  gross  tons;  of 
this  amount  8,026,432  tons,  or  about  foui'-fifths,  were  received  at  Lake 
Erie  ports.'^ 

Xearly  all  of  the  grain  and  fiour  moved  on  Lake  Superior  is  shipped 
from  Duluth,  West  Superior,  and  Ashland,  at  the  extreme  western  end 
of  the  lake,  to  Buffalo,  at  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  Lake  Erie,  or  a 
distance  of  aj)proximately  1,000  statute  miles.  And  the  bulk  of  the 
grain  and  flour  and  other  mill  products  transported  on  Lake  Michigan 
originates  in  Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  at  the  southern  end  of  the  lake, 
and  is  transported  to  Buffalo,  at  the  other  end  of  the  lake  system.  The 
total  shipments  of  wheat,  corn,  and  other  grain  in  the  last  census  year 
(1889)  aggregated  3,401,881  tons,  and  of  this  amouut>  3,008,901  tons 
were  shipi^ed  from  the  ports  of  lakes  Michigan  and  Superior.  The 
receipts  at  the  ports  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  and  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  aggregated  2,902,378  tons.  It  must  not  be  inferred,  however, 
that  the  whole  of  the  difference  represents  local  traffic,  for  ujjon  the 
whole  lake  system  shipments  exceeded  receipts  by  421,421  tons,  and 
a  large  part  of  this  excess  found  its  way  to  Canadian  ports  on  the  lower 
lakes.  The  total  shipments  of  mill  products  amounted  to  894,123  tons, 
and  of  this  amount  825,637  tons  were  shipped  from  the  ports  of  Lakes 
Michigan  and  Superior.  Eeceipts  at  the  ports  of  lakes  Erie  and  Ontario 
and  the  St.  Lawrence  aggregated  861,187  tons.' 

Lumber,  the  one  large  item  remaining  of  the  east  and  south  bound 
freight,  is  also,  for  the  most  part,  long-distance  freight,  but  its  places 

1  These  figures  were  kiudly  furnished  by  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  canal. 

■^  See  Appendix  III  for  detailed  statement  of  shipment  and  receipt  of  iron  ore  by 
ports  for  a  series  of  years. 

"'  It  is  to  l)e  noted  that  the  receipts  of  mill  products  exceeded  the  shipments  by 
97,943  tons.  There  were  some  importations  from  Canada,  but  it  seems  hardly  prob- 
able that  they  equaled  this  amount. 


12  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

of  origin  aud  destination  are  so  nnmerous  that  this  fact  can  not  easily 
be  pointed  out.  The  west-bonnd  traffic  consists  almost  entirely  of  the 
one  article  coal.  It  forms  cargoes  for  vessels  on  return  trips  up  the 
lakes,  and  as  it  is  shipjied  from  Lake  Erie  porfs  and  in  the  main  is 
carried  to  the  ports  at  the  far  ends  of  lakes  Michigan  and  Superior,  it 
too  is  long-distance  freight.  In  the  last  census  year  the  total  move- 
ment of  coal  and  coke  was  0,105,799  tons.' 

The  shipments  from  Lake  Erie  ports  aggregated  5,190,182  tons,  and 
the  receipts  at  the  ports  of  lakes  Michigan  and  Superior  were  4,019,096 
tons.  The  total  shipments  on  the  lakes  exceeded  receipts  by  943,328 
tons,  and  probably  the  bulk  of  this  excess  represents  exportations  to 
Canada,  some  of  which  was  carried  well  up  the  lakes.  AH  the  large 
items  of  lake  commerce  have  now  been  considered,  and  it  has  been 
found  that  in  general  they  may  be  regarded  as  long-distance  freight. 
This  is  equally  true  of  juost  of  the  smaller  items  and  of  the  package 
freight.  r>ut  limitations  of  space  forbid  a  detailed  examination  of  the 
various  items.  In  conclusion,  some  general  evidence  of  recent  date  will 
be  submitted  to  show  the  preponderance  of  the  through  traffic.  Gen- 
eral Superintendent  Wheeler  reports  that  the  average  distance  that  the 
10,239,001  tons  of  freight  which  passed  through  the  St.  Marys  Canal 
in  1890  were  carried  was  830.4  miles.  And  in  the  brief  recently  i^re- 
X)ared  by  Mr.  C.  H.  Keei)  for  the  Lake  Carriers'  Association  it  is  stated 
that  the  average  length  of  haul  for  the  29,000,(K)0  tons  of  freight  that 
passed  Detroit  in  1895  was  750  miles. 

Far-reaching  changes  in  the  instrumentalities  employed  in  the  move- 
ment of  lake  commerce  have  lately  taken  place.  Not  only  has  there 
been  a  very  rapid  incjrease  in  the  size  of  the  vessels,  but  there  has  also 
been  a  revolution  in  the  materials  used  in  their  construction  and  in  the 
motive  power  employed.  In  1808  the  aveiage  size  of  the  sailing  vessels 
on  the  lakes  was  158  gross  tons;  in  1870  it  was  150  tons;  a  decade 
later  it  liad  increased  to  209  tons,  and  two  decades  later  to  258  tons, 
while  in  1897  the  average  tonnage  of  the  sailing  vessels  was  330  gross 
tons.  Steamers  have  increased  in  size  even  more  rapidly.  In  1808 
their  average  gross  tonnage  was  but  231  tons,  and  in  1870,  223  tons. 
During  the  next  ten  years  it  remained  about  stationary,  being  but  228 
tons  in  1880.  The  following  decade,  however,  witnessed  a  very  rapid 
increase,  and  the  average  admeasurement  of  the  steamers  that  plied 
on  the  lakes  in  1890  was  427  gross  tons.  There  was  still  further 
progress  during  the  succeeding  seven  years,  and  in  1897  the  average 
gross  tonnage  of  the  lake  steamers  had  reached  551  tons,  or  almost 
two  and  one-half  times  what  it  was  in  1870. 

Owing  to  the  comparative  absence  from  Lake  Superior  of  small  craft 
engaged  in  passenger  and  local  freight  business,  the  average  size  of 
the  vessels  in  the  heavy  and  long-distance  freight  traffic  of  the  lakes 
is  much  more  accurately  indicated  by  averages  covering  the  vessels 
employed  in  the  commerce  of  this  lake  than  by  the  figures  that  have 
just  been  presented.  In  1870  the  average  registered  tonnage  of  the 
various  kinds  of  vessels  passing  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  was 
approximately  375  tons;  in  1880  it  was  about  495,  aud  by  1890  it  had 
increased  to  about  800  tons.  In  1890  it  had  much  more  than  doubled  as 
compared  with  1870,  and  was  920  tons  registeied.  Figures  showing  the 
progressive  increase  of  the  average  size  of  the  vessels  constituting  the 
whole  lake  tleet  have  now  been  presented.  These  averages  do  not,  how- 
ever, convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  change  which  has  taken  i^lace,  and 
for  the  obvious  reason  that  because  the  life  of  a  ship  extends  over  a  con- 


Coke  is  a  very  small  item. 


12  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

of  origin  and  destination  are  so  numerous  tliat  this  fact  can  not  easily 
be  pointed  out.  The  westbound  traftic  consists  almost  entirely  of  the 
one  article  coal.  It  forms  cargoes  for  vessels  on  return  trips  up  the 
lakes,  and  as  it  is  shipped  from  Lake  Erie  i^orfs  and  in  the  main  is 
carried  to  the  ports  at  the  far  ends  of  lakes  Michigiin  and  Superior,  it 
too  is  long-distance  freight.  In  the  last  census  year  the  total  move- 
ment of  coal  and  coke  was  6,105,799  tons.' 

The  shipments  from  Lake  Erie  ports  aggregated  5,190,182  tons,  and 
the  receipts  at  the  ports  of  lakes  Michigan  and  Superior  were  4,G  19,096 
tons.  The  total  shipments  on  the  lakes  exceeded  receipts  by  943,328 
tons,  and  probably  the  bulk  of  this  excess  represents  exportations  to 
Canada,  some  of  which  was  carried  well  up  the  lakes.  AH  the  large 
items  of  lake  commerce  have  now  been  considered,  and  it  has  been 
found  that  in  general  they  may  be  regarded  as  long-distance  freight. 
This  is  equally  true  of  most  of  the  smaller  items  and  of  the  pa(;kage 
freight.  But  limitations  of  si)ace  forbid  a  detailed  examination  of  the 
various  items.  In  conclusion,  some  general  evidence  of  recent  date  will 
be  submitted  to  sliow  the  preponderance  of  tlie  through  traffic.  Gen- 
eral Superintendent  Wheeler  reports  that  the  average  distance  that  the 
10,239,()()1  tons  of  freight  which  passed  through  the  St.  Marys  Canal 
in  1890  were  carried  was  830,4:  miles.  And  in  the  brief  recently  pre- 
pared bv  Mr.  0.  II.  Keep  for  the  Lake  Carriei-s'  Association  it  is  stated 
that  the^  average  length  of  haul  for  the  29,000,000  tons  of  freight  that 
passed  Detroit  in  1895  was  750  miles. 

Far-reaching  changes  in  the  instrumentalities  emi»loycd  in  the  move- 
ment of  lake  commerce  have  lately  taken  place.  Not  only  has  there 
been  a  very  rapid  increase  in  the  size  of  the  vessels,  but  there  has  also 
been  a  revolution  in  the  materials  used  in  their  construction  and  in  the 
motive  power  employed.  In  1808  the  average  size  of  the  sailing  vessels 
on  the  lakes  was  158  gross  tons;  in  1870  it  was  150  tons;  a  decade 
later  it  had  increased  to  209  tons,  and  two  decades  later  to  258  tons, 
while  in  1897  the  average  tonnage  of  the  sailing  vessels  was  330  gross 
tons.  Steamers  have  increased  in  size  even  more  rapidly.  In  1808 
their  average  gross  tonnage  was  but  231  tons,  and  in  1870,  223  tons. 
During  the  next  ten  years  it  remained  about  stationary,  being  but  228 
tons  in  1880.  The  following  decade,  however,  witnessed  a  very  rapid 
increase,  and  the  average  admeasurement  of  the  steamers  that  plied 
on  the  lakes  in  1890  was  427  gross  tons.  There  was  still  further 
progress  during  the  succeeding  seven  years,  and  in  1897  the  average 
gross  tonnage  of  the  lake  steamers  had  reached  551  tons,  or  almost 
two  and  one-half  times  what  it  was  in  1870. 

Owing  to  the  comparative  absence  from  Lake  Superior  of  small  craft 
engaged  in  passenger  and  local  freight  business,  the  average  size  of 
the  vessels  in  the  heavy  and  long-distance  freight  traffic  of  the  lakes 
is  much  more  accurately  indicated  by  averages  covering  the  vessels 
employed  in  the  commerce  of  this  lake  than  by  the  figures  that  have 
just  been  i>resented.  In  1870  the  average  registered  tonnage  of  the 
various  kinds  of  vessels  passing  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  was 
approximately  375  tons;  in  1880  it  was  about  495,  and  by  1890  it  had 
increased  to  about  800  tons.  In  1890  it  had  much  more  than  doubled  as 
compared  with  1870,  and  was  92(5  tons  registered.  Figures  showing  the 
progressive  increase  of  the  average  size  of  the  vessels  constituting  the 
whole  lake  tieet  have  now  been  presented.  These  averages  do  not,  how- 
ever, convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  change  which  has  taken  place,  and 
for  the  obvious  reason  that  because  the  life  of  a  ship  extends  over  a  con- 

1  Coke  is  a  verv  small  item. 


i^^l 


Yf 


Hk 


;^*: 


IS 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  13 

siderable  period  of  time,  tlie  small  vessels  constructed  in  the  earlier 
periods  are  still  in  existence  to  depress  the  averages  of  the  later  periods. 
To  eliminate  this  source  of  error,  statistics  will  be  given  showing  the 
average  size  of  the  new  construction  year  by  year.^  In  order  to  show 
clearly  the  trend,  these  statistics  are  presented  in  the  form  of  a  chart, 
which  appears  on  the  opposite  page. 

The  chart  clearly  shows  that  the  average  tonnage  of  the  sailing  ves- 
sels has  not  greatly  increased,  and  the  average  tonnage  of  the  steamers 
shows  no  remarkable  change  up  to  the  fiscal  year  1887.  From  1887, 
however,  the  average  tonnage  increased  by  leaps  and  bounds.  The 
average  gross  tonnage  of  the  steamers  built  in  1886  was  but  2GU.10  tons, 
while  in  189L  it  was  758.72  tons,  and  in  1897  1,4.30,91  tons.  This  is  equiv- 
alent to  an  increase  in  size  of  534  per  cent  in  the  twelve  year  period  under 
consideration.  To  enable  one  to  form  an  accurate  conception  of  the 
size  and  carrying  capacity  of  the  propellers  now  being  constructed,  I 
shall  give  the  dimensions  of  a  steamer  now  being  built  for  the  Bessemer 
Steamship  Company  by  F.  W.  Wheeler  &  Co.  This  vessel  is  larger 
than  any  vessel  afloat  on  the  lakes  or  any  other  vessel  now  building. 
She  will  measure  475  feet  over  all,  and  will  have  a  beam  measurement 
of  50  feet  and  a  depth  of  29  feet.  Her  carrying  capacity  will  be  between 
6,500  and  6,750  gross  tons  on  a  mean  draft  of  17  feet.' 

These  dimensions  and  capacity  will  probably  very  soon  be  exceeded, 
for  the  tendency  seems  to  be  toward  still  larger  vessels.  To  give  the 
reader  some  idea  of  the  relative  size  of  lake  and  ocean  vessels,  I  shall 
compare  the  dimensions  of  the  largest  vessel  about  the  lakes  with  those 
of  two  of  the  largest  ocean  vessels — Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse,  which 
is  the  largest  steamer  now  in  service,  and  the  Oceanic,  now  building — 
the  largest  steamer  either  in  service  or  building. 

!  TSoaoAniP,-        Kaiser 
.      Dimensions,  o  steamer        ^i^lielm      Oceanic. 

'         '        ■     tier  Grosse. ; 

I  ■    Feet.       '       Feet.       j  Feet. 

Length  over  all '               475                 64S  '  704 

Length  of  keel 455    |  685 

Beam  50                   66  68 

Depth 29                    43  46 

a  The  dimensions  of  these  ships  were  furnished  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Bowers,  general  manager  of  the  Besse- 
mer steamship  Company;  Oelrich.s  &  Co.,  New  York  agents  of  North  German  Lloyd,  and  the  Xew 
York  agents  of  the  White  Star  Line. 

It  appears  by  this  table  that  the  Oceanic,  the  largest  ocean  vessel, 
surpasses  the  largest  lake  vessel  in  the  matter  of  length  by  48  per  cent, 
in  breadth  of  beam  by  36  per  cent,  and  in  depth  bj^  58  i^er  cent.  The 
great  disparity  in  the  matter  of  depth  is  explained  by  the  shallowness 
of  the  water  in  the  harbors  and  channels  which  connect  the  lakes. 

Another  conspicuous  feature  of  the  history  of  the  lake  fleet  is  the 
rapid  substitution  of  steam  for  sails  as  a  motive  power.  In  1868  there 
"were  in  the  waters  of  the  Great  Lakes  624  steam  vessels,  with  a  meas- 
urement of  144,117  gross  tons,  and  1,855  sailing  vessels,  with  a  measure- 
ment of  293.978  gross  tons.  The  sailing  tonnage  was  thus  a  trifle  more 
than  double  that  of  the  steam  tonnage.  The  relative  iinx)ortance  of 
these  two  classes  of  vessels  changed  very  slowly  during  the  next  fifteen 
years,  and  it  was  not  until  1884  that  the  steam  exceeded  the  sail  ton- 

^  These  statistics  may  be  found  iu  Appendix  1. 

2  These  facts  were  kindly  furnished  to  me  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Bowers,  general  manager  of 
the  Bessemer  Steamship  Company. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  13 

siderable  period  of  time,  the  small  vessels  constructed  in  the  earlier 
periods  are  still  in  existence  to  depress  the  averages  of  the  later  periods. 
To  eliminate  this  source  of  error,  statistics  will  be  given  showing  the 
average  size  of  the  new  construction  year  by  year.^  In  order  to  show 
clearly  the  trend,  these  statistics  are  presented  in  the  form  of  a  chart, 
which  appears  on  the  opposite  page. 

The  chart  clearly  shows  that  the  average  tonnage  of  the  sailing  ves- 
sels has  not  greatly  increased,  and  the  average  tonnage  of  the  steamers 
shows  no  remarkable  change  up  to  the  fiscal  year  1887.  From  1887, 
however,  the  average  tonnage  increased  by  leaps  and  bounds.  The 
average  gross  tonnage  of  the  steamers  built  in  1886  was  but  2(31>.10  tons, 
while  in  1891  it  was  758.71}  tons,  and  in  1897  1,430.91  tons.  This  is  equiv- 
alent to  an  increase  in  size  of  534  per  cent  in  the  twelve-year  period  under 
consideration.  To  enable  one  to  form  an  accurate  conception  of  the 
size  and  carrying  capacity  of  the  propellers  now  being  constructed,  I 
shall  give  the  dimensions  of  a  steamer  now  being  built  for  the  Bessemer 
Steamship  Company  by  F.  W.  Wheeler  &  Co.  This  vessel  is  larger 
than  any  vessel  afloat  on  the  lakes  or  any  other  vessel  now  building. 
She  will  measure  475  feet  over  all,  and  will  have  a  beam  measurement 
of  50  feet  and  a  depth  of  29  feet.  Her  carrying  capacity  will  be  between 
6,500  and  6,750  gross  tons  on  a  mean  draft  of  17  feet.' 

These  dimensions  and  capacity  will  probably  very  soon  be  exceeded, 
for  the  tendency  seems  to  be  toward  still  larger  vessels.  To  give  the 
reader  some  idea  of  the  relative  size  of  lake  and  ocean  vessels,  I  shall 
compare  the  dimensions  of  the  largest  vessel  about  the  lakes  with  those 
of  two  of  the  largest  ocean  vessels — Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse,  which 
is  the  largest  steamer  now  in  service,  and  the  Oceanic,  now  building — 
the  largest  steamer  either  in  service  or  building. 


Dimensions,  a 


Ji.aiser 

WilLelm    '  Oceanic, 
der  Grosse. 


Length  over  all 

Length  of  keel j  455 

Beam  i  5i  i 

Depth 29 


Feet.  Feet.       !      Feet. 

475  648  704 


a  The  dimensions  of  these  ships  were  furnished  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Bowers,  general  manager  of  the  Besse- 
mer Steamship  Company;  Oelrichs  &  Co.,  New  York  agents  of  North  German  Lloyd,  and  the  New 
York  agents  of  the  White  Star  Line. 

It  appears  by  this  table  that  the  Oceanic,  the  largest  ocean  vessel, 
surpasses  the  largest  lake  vessel  in  the  matter  of  length  by  48  per  cent, 
in  breadth  of  beam  by  36  per  cent,  and  in  depth  by  58  per  cent.  The 
great  disparity  in  the  matter  of  depth  is  explained  by  the  shallowness 
of  the  water  in  the  harbors  and  channels  which  connect  the  lakes. 

Another  conspicuous  feature  of  the  history  of  the  lake  fleet  is  the 
rapid  substitution  of  steam  for  sails  as  a  motive  power.  In  1868  there 
were  in  the  waters  of  the  Great  Lakes  624  steam  vessels,  with  a  meas- 
urement of  144,117  gross  tons,  and  1,855  sailing  vessels,  with  a  measure- 
ment of  293,978  gross  tons.  The  sailing  tonnage  was  thus  a  trifle  more 
than  double  that  of  the  steam  tonnage.  The  relative  importance  of 
these  two  classes  of  vessels  changed  very  slowly  during  the  next  fifteen 
years,  and  it  was  not  until  1884  that  the  steam  exceeded  the  sail  ton- 

1  These  statistics  may  be  found  in  Appendix  1. 

■2  These  facts  were  kindly  furnished  to  me  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Bowers,  general  manager  of 
the  Bessemer  Steamship  Company. 


14  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

nage.  Since  1884:  tlie  sailiug  tonnage,  as  it  appears  on  the  records  of 
the  Bureau  of  Xavigatiou,  has  remained  about  stationary,  being  307,733 
gross  tons  in  that  year  and  334,104  gross  tons  in  1897.  Tlie  steam  ton- 
nage, on  the  other  hand,  has  increased  with  great  rapidity  since  1884, 
and  is  now  nearly  three  times  as  great  as  the  sail  tonnage.  Iti  reality, 
however,  the  sailing  tonnage  is  very  much  less  now  than  it  was  in  1884. 
Many  of  the  vessels  classed  as  sailing  vessels  have  really  been  trans- 
formed into  barges,  for  they  are  now  habitually  towed.  These  vessels 
are  difficult  to  classify,  as  they  have  not  been  dismantled.  If  their 
rigging  were  taken  down,  they  would  be  classified  with  the  barges. 
The  law  reqnires  the  Commissioner  of  Kavigation  to  document  and 
report  vessels  by  their  rig.  Whether  canvas  is  occasionally  or  never 
stretched  is  a  matter  into  which  he  can  not  officially  enter.  "The  rig's 
the  thing."  The  acts  of  Congress  assume  that  where  a  vessel  has 
motive  power  of  its  own  it  uses  it,  though  it  is  generally  known  that 
towing  is  resorted  to,  and  to  a  very  great  extent. 

The  tonnage  of  sailing  vessels  on  the  records  of  the  Bureau  of  I^avi- 
gation  also  includes  a  number  of  vessels  almost  always  spoken  of  on  the 
lakes  as  barges.  These  vessels  form  a  very  respectable  tonnage,  as  most 
of  the  new  steel  barges  fall  within  this  group.  These  barges  are  officially 
classified  as  sailing  vessels,  for  the  same  reason  that  many  of  the  ves- 
sels that  were  once  sailing  vessels,  but  are  now  barges,  are  still  officially 
grouped  with  the  sailing  vessels — namely,  for  the  reason  that  they  are 
rigged.  Most  of  the  new  steel  barges  can  spread  a  limited  amount  of 
canvas,  but  they  are  habitually  towed,  and  ordy  raise  their  canvas  when 
a  favorable  wind  blows.  The  statistics  without  explanation,  therefore, 
convey  but  a  very  imperfect  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  business  is 
now  being  done  by  sailing  vessels.  Sailing  vessels,  in  the  true  sense, 
have  practically  disappeared  from  Lake  Superior.  When  at  St.  Marys 
Falls  Canal,  I  was  informed,  on  the  0th  of  September,  by  Mr.  Andrew 
Jackson,  one  of  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  canal,  that  but  six  sailing- 
vessels  running  independently  had  been  passed  through  the  h»cks 
during  the  season  of  1807.'  Mr.  A.  B.  Wolvin,  a  vessel  owner  and 
one  of  the  largest  shippers  on  the  lakes,  told  me  about  the  middle  of 
September  that  he  had  seen  but  one  sailing  vessel  on  Lake  Superior 
running  independently  in  sixyears.^  Sailing  vessels  have  also  largely 
disappeared  from  the  lower  lakes.  More  of  them  remain  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan than  on  any  other  lake.  They  are  largely  engaged  in  transporting 
lumber,  ties,  and  posts,  and  do  not  often  traverse  the  narrow  chan- 
nels connecting  the  different  lakes  through  which  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  be  towed.  With  the  disappearance  of  sailing  vessels,  the  large 
fleets  of  tugs  stationed  at  the  St.  Marys,  St.  Clair,  and  Detroit  rivers 
have  lost  a  once  profitable  employment,  and  have  now  practically 
disappeared. 

Perhaps  the  best  evidence  we  have  of  the  ftivor  in  which  sail  and 
steam  vessels  are  now  held  are  tlie  statistics  of  construction  for  the  last 
two  years.  The  reports  of  the  Commissioner  of  Navigation  show  that 
the  steam  tonnage  constructed  on  the  northern  lakes  during  the  last 
two  fiscal  years  was  almost  eleven  times  that  of  the  sail  tonnage — the 

'  This  may  surprise  one  familiar  with  the  annual  reports  of  the  commerce  passing 
through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal.  For  instance,  the  latest  report  gives  the  number 
of  sailing  vessels  passed  through  the  locks  in  189(5  as  4,391.  It  seems  strange  that 
so  few  should  use  the  locks  in  1897.  The  situation  is  made  clear  l)y  an  explanation 
of  the  classification  adopted  in  the  report.  In  the  canal  report,  all  vessels  not  pro- 
pelled by  steam  power,  such  as  schooners,  barges,  and  cousorts  of  all  kinds,  and 
which  are  registered  by  the  United  States,  are  classed  as  '-'sailing  vessels." 

-It  needs  hardly  to  be  said  that  pleasure  boats  are  not  included  in  this  discussion. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COM^IERCE.  15 

former  being  137,o30.80  tons  and  the  latter  12.(j»)1.11  tous.  The  sailing 
tonnage,  as  here  given,  does  not  inclnde  the  steel  sailing  vessels,  all  of 
which,  I  am  informed  by  Mi:  W.  I.  Babcock,  manager  of  the  Chicago 
Ship  Bnilding  Company,  are  really  barges. 

Steam  is  relied  npon  as  a  motive  ])ower  to  even  a  greater  extent  than 
the  statistics  which  have  been  given  would  indicate.  The  barges  are 
towed  by  the  steamers,  and  so  the  barge  tonnage  is  moved  by  steam 
power.  The  barge  tonnage  on  June  30,  1897,  as  reported  by  the  Com- 
missioner of  Navigation,  was  00,783  tons.  This  statement  does  not 
include  any  of  the  sailing  vessels  that  are  always  towed  but  have  not 
been  dismantled.  jS^or  does  this  statement  include  any  of  the  rigged 
barges  of  new  construction  that  now  form  a  respectable  tonnage;  in 
the  single  year  1897  there  was  a  gross  tonnage  of  rigged  steel  barges 
constructed  of  31,030.37  tons.  The  statistics  of  construction  and  of 
the  lake  fleet  are  likely  to  be  progressively  niisleadiug  if  continued 
according  to  the  classification  which  now  obtains,  for  traus})ortation  by 
tow  barges  seems  to  be  gaining  in  favor.  This  is  in  part  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  dock  facilities  have  been  so  enlarged  that  the  steamer  and 
her  consort  or  consorts  may  be  unloading  at  the  same  time.  Formerly, 
as  a  general  thing,  the  boats  could  only  be  unloaded  in  detail,  and  the 
steamer  lost  valuable  time  in  waiting  tor  the  barges. 

Circumstances  decidedly  favor  the  substitution  of  steam  for  sails. 
Steamers  are  operated  on  the  Great  Lakes  under  conditions  the  most 
favorable  for  steam  navigation.  Good  steaming  coal  can  be  bought  in 
the  ports  of  the  lakes  at  a  very  low  price,  and  the  voyages  are  very  short 
in  comparison  with  the  long  ocean  voyage,  a  fact  which  makes  it  unnec- 
essary to  carry  a  great  amount  of  dead  freight  in  the  form  of  coal.  The 
comparatively  limited  extent  of  the  lakes  is  favorable  to  steam  naviga- 
tion for  still  another  reason.  In  severe  storms  sailing  vessels  are  helpless 
and  drift  with  the  wind.  On  the  ocean  this  is  not  dangerous,  because 
there  is  sea  room,  but  on  the  lakes  vessels  are  soon  driven  ashore  and 
wrecked.  This  danger  is  not  so  great  in  the  case  ot  steamers,  for  they 
can  run  against  the  wind  and  usually  succeed  in  standing  off  from  the 
shore.'  Tliese  facts,  together  with  the  general  desire  of  the  modern 
business  world  for  dispatch,  sufficiently  exjilain  the  change  from  sails 
to  steam. 

The  increased  size  of  ships  and  the  substitution  of  steam  for  sails — 
two  of  the  three  radical  changes  we  have  to  consider — have  rendered 
desirable,  in  order  to  secure  strength  with  lightness  and  elasticity,  the 
third  change,  namely,  the  substitution  of  steel  for  wood  as  the  material 
for  construction.  In  lake  vessels  the  machinery  is  placed  far  aft,  and 
as  the  vibration  is  in  most  cases  very  much  increased  by  the  machinery 
being  in  this  position,  the  hull  must  be  made  unusually  strong.  The 
hulls  of  lake  vessels  are  also  subjected  to  unusual  strains,  because  of 
the  machinery  being  placed  far  aft,  when  the  boats  are  running  light — 
that  is,  without  cargo,  the  explanation  being  that  the  weight  of  the 
machinery  and  coal  sinks  the  stern,  and  in  rough  weather  the  forward 
end  of  the  sliii^  is  thrown  very  much  out  of  water,  producing  a  heavy 
"hogging"  strain.  This  has  been  materially  lessened  in  more  modern 
vessels  by  increasing  the  depth  of  the  water  bottom,  and  thus  the  amount 
of  water  carried  when  light,  but  is  at  times  very  much  aggravated  by 
the  practice  of  admitting  free  water  into  the  cargo  holds  aft  in  order  to 
get  the  wheel  well  down  into  the  water  so  it  will  work  effectively. 

'  During  the  navigation  season  of  1896,  of  the  14  vessels  which  were  stranded  and 
were  a  total  loss,  onlv  2  were  steamers;  the  others  were  schooners.  (The  Marine 
Review,  Vol.  XIV,  No."  24.  p.  7.) 


16  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

With  the  vessel  loaded  the  straius  are  less  with  the  usual  arrangement 
of  lake  machinery  thau  if  it  were  amidships.  A  ship  constructed  of 
irou  or  of  steel  is  much  more  buoyant  thau  one  built  of  wood.  It  is 
usually  estimated  that  there  is  a  ditference  in  buoyancy  of  30  per  ceut 
in  favor  of  the  irou  and  4  >  per  cent  in  favor  of  the  steel  hull.  Steel  is 
much  more  elastic  thau  irou,  aud  therefore  bears  strains  much  better. 

As  a  result  of  this  superiority  in  respect  of  strength,  elasticity,  buoy- 
ancy, aud  durability,  the  preference  for  steel  has  become  very  decided, 
and  as  the  price  of  steel  has  fallen  very  rapidlj^  aud  that  of  wood  has 
risen,  it  has  become  profitable  to  substitute  steel  for  wood.  There  is 
probably  in  the  world  to-day  no  i^lace  at  tide  water  wliere  ship  plates 
can  be  laid  down  for  a  less  price  than  they  can  be  manufactured  or  pur- 
chased at  the  lake  ports.  Tliere  is,  therefore,  every  reason  for  steel 
being  substituted  for  wood.  In  18SG  there  were  but  six  steel  vessels, 
with  an  aggregate  net  tonnage  of  (;,!")<)  tons  atloat  in  the  lake;  since 
188G  there  has  been  a  revolution  in  the  material  of  the  tioating  equip- 
ment. On  June  30,  1897,  the  gross  tonnage  of  steel  vessels  on  the 
lakes  aggregated  ■480,291.47  tons,'  or  much  more  than  one-half  that  of 
the  wooden  tonnage,  the  latter  being  8Sr),832.^.")  tons.  Steel  was  the 
material  used  in  the  construction  of  about  eight-ninths  of  the  tonnage 
built  and  documented  in  the  tiscal  year  1897.  The  chart  on  the  oppo- 
site page  shows  the  wood  and  metal  tonnage  by  years  since  1880. 

Because  of  the  more  effective  organization  and  use  of  labor  and 
material  forces  and  the  use  of  improved  facilities  for  handling  freight 
at  terminals,  but  especially  on  account  of  the  betterment  of  the  per- 
manent way,  and  because  of  tlie  introduction  of  more  efficient  instru- 
ments of  transpoi'tation,  our  railroads  have  found  it  possible  to  lower 
their  freight  tariffs.  From  a  later  day  similar  changes  have  been  in 
progress  in  the  lake  transportation  business,  aud  there  also  have  made 
possible  a  reduction  of  charges.  Better  roadbeds,  heavier  rails, 
straighter  tracks,  with  easier  grades,  find  their  counterpart  on  the 
lakes  in  deeper  and  more  direct  channels,  aud  in  more  effective  locks; 
the  improvements  which  the  railroad  have  introduced  f(jr  the  expe- 
ditious haudhng  of  freight  at  terminals  have  been  more  thau  equaled 
by  the  dock  and  steamship  companies,  aud  the  rapidity  with  which 
cargo  freight  is  now  loaded  and  unloaded  approaches  the  marvelous. 
Better  tracks  have  made  it  possible  to  run  heavier  trains,  and  simi- 
larly, deeper  channels  have  enabled  the  vesselmen  to  increase  the 
burden  of  their  ships.  We  have  now  seen  that  the  improvements 
which  have  rendered  possible  a  reduction  of  carrying  charges  on  the 
railroad,  have  also  made  practicable  a  reduction  of  tariff  on  the  lakes. 

I  shall  now  endeavor  to  show  to  what  extent  rates  have  fallen.  First, 
let  us  compare  the  rates  prevailing  in  one  period  with  those  of  other 
periods  to  determine  the  absolute  decliue.  In  attempting  to  do  this  we 
are  at  the  outset  confronted  with  a  serious  problem,  namely,  the  period 
to  be  selected  as  a  starting  point,  and  what  other  periods  shall  be  con- 
trasted with  the  one  first  selected.  This  matter  is  always  a  perplexing 
one,  but  in  the  case  in  hand  it  is  unusually  difficult,  because  of  the  vio- 
lent fluctuations  that  characterize  lake  rates.  To  avoid  some  of  the 
evils  of  an  injudicious  starting  point,  and  also  the  more  clearly  to  por- 
tray the  movement,  I  have  charted  the  charges  for  a  long  period.  The 
article  selected  is  wheat,  and  the  rates  are  those  between  Chicago  and 
Buffalo,  as  given  by  the  Xew  York  Produce  Exchange.    The  charges 

'  These  figures  include  the  iron  vessels,  which  have  a  gross  tonnage  of  about  30,000 
tons. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


17 


for  this  commodity  alone  were  charted,  because  wheat  is  a  representa- 
tive freight,  and  fairly  retiects  the  general  movement  of  rates.' 

The  chart  shows  that  the  trend  has  been  very  decid*  dly  downward. 
I  sliall  not  attempt  to  describe  more  minutely  the  downward  movement, 
because  it  is  quite  impossible  to  select  representative  years,  and  the 
chart  presents  the  matter  very  clearly  and  forcibly.  The  lirst  feature  to 
arrest  attention  is  the  exceedingly  violent  Huctuation  of  the  lake  rates. 
The  very  erratic  movement  of  the  rates  is  explained  by  the  method  of 
fixing  rates  adopted  by  the  lake  carriers,  who  introduce  an  entirely 
new  schedule  at  the  opening  of  each  season  of  navigation  and  alter  it 
many  times  during  the  season.  When  business  is  heavy  the  rates  go 
up,  and  when  business  is  light  the  rates  go  down. 

The  following  table  shows  the  fluctuations  of  a  single  season : 

Current  weeldy  freiyhts,  per  bushel,  o)t  tvheat  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo  by  Jalce  durirnj  the 
season  of  1895. 

[Report  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1895,  p.  113.] 


Week  ending- 

Cents. 

■ 
"Week  ending— 

Cents. 

W  eek  ending- 

Cents. 

Apr.    13 

20       

Julv     6 

1 
1 

11 

if 

p 

24 

Sept    28 

3 

^  is:::::::::::::::: 

Ont.       5 

27 

20 

27 

12 

May      4 

19 

\' 

18 

10 

17 

3i:::::::::::::::: 

Xov       2 

3 

if 

•■i         1|  1 

16 

3 

23 

2I 

15 

1*  ' 

30 

''2 

;;|     ;  1  -  -  „::;::::::::::::: 

Dec       7 

29 

14 

These  violent  fluctuations  serve  to  show  the  flexibility  of  the  lake 
charges,  the  readiness  with  which  the  rates  are  adjusted  to  what  the 
traffic  will  bear,  and  stand  in  striking  contrast  with  rail  rates,  which 
respond  but  slowly. 

As  a  general  thing,  the  discussions  of  lake  rates  are  misleading.  Eates 
have  sometimes  been  so  selected  as  to  give  one  the  impression  that 
charges  have  fallen  very  rapidly  and  continuously.  The  following  is 
an  example  in  point:  "In  1857  the  average  rate  by  lake  and  canal  on 
a  bushel  of  wheat  from  Chicago  to  New  York  was  25.29  cents ;  in  1870  the 
rate  for  the  same  service  was  17.1  cents  per  bushel;  in  1880  it  was  12.27 
cents  per  bushel,  and  in  1890  5.85  cents  per  bushel."  Now  note  what  a 
change  is  introduced  by  selecting  the  rates  prevailing  in  1858  instead 
of  1857,  and  in  1871  instead  of  1870: 


Tear. 

Rates. 

Tear. 

Rates. 

1857 

Cents. 
25.  29 
17.10 
12.27 
5  85 

18!)8 

Cents. 

1870 

1871 

20  24 

1880 

1880 

12.  27 

1890 

1890       .                                                     .     ... 

5.85 



These  examples  show  how  important  it  is,  if  it  be  desired  to  communi- 
cate a  correct  impression  of  the  movement  of  rates,  that  the  greatest 
circumsj)ection  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  the  points  of  the  move- 

1  These  rates  and  those  for  several  other  commodities  may  be  found  in  the  appendices. 
H.  Doc.  277 2 


IT   RATES  ON   WHE/ 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


17 


for  this  commodity  aloue  were  charted,  because  wbeat  is  a  representa- 
tive freight,  and  fairly  reflects  tlie  general  movement  of  rates.^ 

The  chart  shows  that  the  trend  has  been  very  decid.  dly  downward. 
I  shall  not  attem])t  to  describe  more  minutely  the  downward  movement, 
because  it  is  quite  impossible  to  select  representative  years,  and  the 
chart  presents  the  matter  very  clearly  and  forcibly.  The  first  feature  to 
arrest  attention  is  the  exceedingly  violent  fluctuation  of  the  lake  rates. 
The  very  erratic  movement  of  the  rates  is  explained  by  the  method  of 
fixing  rates  adopted  by  the  lake  carriers,  who  introduce  an  entirely 
new  schedule  at  the  openiag  of  each  season  of  navigation  and  alter  it 
many  times  during  the  season.  When  business  is  heavy  the  rates  go 
up,  and  when  business  is  light  the  rates  go  down. 

The  following  table  shows  the  fluctuations  of  a  single  season : 

Current  weekh/  frehjhts,  per  bushel,  on  wheat  from  Chicar/o  to  Biiff(do  by  JaJce  durimj  the 
season  of  1S95. 


[Report  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1895,  p.  113.] 


Week  ending- 


Week  ending- 


Apr.    13 If 

20 '  li 

27 i  IJ 

May      4 li 

11 li 

18 H 

25 i  Ik 

June     1 i  If 

J:::::;:;:::::::::  1^ 

22 1 

29 1 


July      0 1 

13 1  1 

20 !  1 

27 !  li 

Aug.     3 i  li 

10 1  1} 

17 n 

24 n 

31 1  12 

Sept.     7 1  15 

U [  2 

21 1  21 


\\'  eek  ending- 


Sept.  28 

Oct.  5 
12 
19 
26 

Xov.  2 
9 
16, 
23 
30 

Dec.  7 
14 


These  violent  fluctuations  serve  to  show  the  flexibility  of  the  lake 
charges,  the  readiness  with  which  the  rates  are  adjusted  to  what  the 
trafflc  will  bear,  and  stand  in  striking  contrast  with  rail  rates,  which 
respond  but  slowly. 

As  a  general  thing,  the  discussions  of  lake  rates  are  misleading.  Eates 
have  sometimes  been  so  selected  as  to  give  one  the  impression  that 
charges  have  fallen  very  rapidly  and  continuously.  The  following  is 
an  example  in  point:  "In  1857  the  average  rate  by  lake  and  canal  on 
a  bushel  of  wheat  from  Chicago  to  New  York  was  25.29  cents ;  in  1870  the 
rate  for  the  same  service  was  17.1  cents  per  bushel;  in  1880  it  was  12.27 
cents  per  bushel,  and  in  1890  o.So  cents  per  bushel."  Xow  note  what  a 
change  is  introduced  by  selecting  the  rates  prevailing  in  1858  instead 


Year. 

Rates. 

Tear. 

Rates. 

1857 

Cents. 
25.29 
17.10 
12.27 
5.85 

1858 

Cents. 
16.28 

1870 

1871 

20  24 

1880 

1880 

12  27 

1890 

1890 ..                                  .     ... 

5.85 

These  examples  show  how  important  it  is,  if  it  be  desired  to  communi- 
cate a  correct  impression  of  the  movement  of  rates,  that  the  greatest 
circumspection  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  the  points  of  the  move- 


1  These  rates  and  those  for  several  other  commodities  may  be  found  in  the  appendices. 
H.  Doc.  277 2 


18  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

ment  that  are  to  be  compared,  and  particularly  in  the  choice  of  the 
initial  point. 

Another  raethod  of  presenting  lake  freights  in  a  very  favorable 
light  is  by  contrasting  them  with  rail  rates,  which  is  usually  done 
in  the  following  manner:  The  average  charge  on  all  the  railroads  in 
the  United  States  for  hauling  1  ton  1  mile  for  some  year  is  compared 
with  the  average  amount  exacted  for  a  similar  service  on  the  lakes. 
Obviously  this  sort  of  procedure  is  unfair  to  the  railways,  for  the  serv- 
ice they  i)erform  differs  from  that  rendered  by  the  lake  carriers.  The 
railroad  tonnage  is  largely  made  up  of  local  freight,  while  the  freight 
tonnage  of  the  lakes  is  through  traffic,  and  is  composed  of  but  few  com- 
modities, all  of  which  are  handled  in  large  quantities.  This  character- 
.istic  of  lake  commerce  is  of  the  greatest  moment,  for  it  makes  speciali- 
zation in  the  shipping  business  possible,  and  assures  a  full  cargo  of  one 
article  at  one  ])ort.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  rates  on  the  lakes  would 
not  be  so  low  as  they  are  it  it  were  necessary  to  so  construct  vessels  as 
to  enable  t'.iem  to  carry  a  variety  of  commodities,  and  if  they  were  com- 
pelled to  go  to  a  number  of  ])orts  to  collect  the  cargoes;  and  then,  too, 
it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  lake  hauls  are  usually  very  long  ones — 
a  fact  that  has  a  most  important  bearing  on  rates. 

Another  way  of  showing  the  relative  cost  to  the  public  of  lake  and 
rail  service,  that  is  often  resorted  to,  is  the  comparison  of  lake  and  rail 
rates  on  some  commodity  which  is  transported  in  large  quantities, 
and  for  long  distances,  by  both  carriers.  Wheat  and  corn  arc  such  com- 
modities. Have  we  here  proper  conditions  for  comparison"?  Clearly 
the  circumstances  are  much  nearer  what  they  should  be  than  they  were 
in  the  case  of  the  comparison  of  ton-mile  charges;  but  even  in  this  in- 
stance the  conditions  are  not  exactly  fair.  Allowance  should  be  made 
for  the  fact  that  the  National  Government  not  only  provides  the  lake 
carriers  with  channels  and  harbors  free  of  charge,  but  also  maintains 
them  in  good  condition  without  compensation.  In  addition,  there  are 
minor  factors  that  favorably  affect  the  cost  of  the  service  rendered  by 
the  lake  carriers,  such  as  the  liberality  displayed  toward  the  shipping 
interest  by  some  of  our  State  legislatures  in  the  matter  of  taxation,'  and 
the  fact  that  the  railroads  continue  their  service  during  the  winter, 
when  the  cost  of  service  is  manifestly  much  greater  than  during  the 
summer.  Thus  it  must  be  granted  that  even  in  the  case  of  comparison 
of  the  lake  and  rail  rates  for  some  commodity  which  is  transported  in 
large  quantities  and  for  long  distances  by  both  carriers,  we  have  not 
found  a  fair  basis  uj)on  which  the  freight  charges  of  the  two  transporta- 
tion agencies  can  be  contrasted,  because  the  community  as  a  whole 
comes  to  the  assistance  of  the  lake  carriers,  and  because  the  service  is 
rendered  by  one  of  the  carriers  at  all  times  and  by  the  other  only  at 
certain  seasons  when  conditions  are  favorable. 


As  far  as  possible  the  statistical  matter  has  been  arranged  in  the 
appendices  to  corresi)ond  with  the  main  divisions  of  the  text — for 
example,  in  Appendix  I  will  be  found  the  tables  that  should  accompany 
the  introductory  part  of  the  report.  Freight  rates  for  any  commodity 
may  be  found  in  the  appendix  corresponding  in  number  to  the  part  of 
the  text  in  which  the  particular  commodity  is  treated. 

iMinnesota  is  a  good  example.  By  an  act  recently  passed,  its  shipping  on  the 
Great  Lakes  is  practically  exempt  from  taxation.  Vessels  pay  a  State  tax  of  bnt  3 
cents  per  net  ton,  and  are  entirely  exempt  from  municipal  taxation.  (Report  of 
Commissioner  of  Navigation,  1895,  p.  202.) 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  19 


Appendix  I. 

A  VALUATION  OF  THE  DATA  FURNISHED  BY  THE  TREASURY  AND  WAR 
DEPARJ'MENTS. 

The  data  collected  by  the  Treasury  Department  fall  under  three 
heads,  (1)  tliat  concerning'  the  fleets;  {2)  that  concerning  the  foreign 
commerce;  (3)  that  having  to  do  with  the  coastwise  trade.  But  little 
fault  can  be  found  witli  the  facts  concerning  the  fleet  collected  under 
the  supervision  of  the  Commissioner  of  Navigation.  Tlie  accuracy  of 
the  facts  he  publislies  can  not  be  questioned,  but  they  might  in  one 
important  particular  give  more  information  than  they  do;  in  many 
cases  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  motive  power  employed.  Vessels 
on  the  lakes  are  now  classed  as  sailing  vessels,  steamers,  barges,  and 
canal  boats.  All  rigged  craft  are  grouped  together  as  sailing  vessels. 
As  a  result  of  this  classification  most  of  the  vessels  commonly  known 
as  barges  are  called  sailing  vessels,  although  they  are  regularly  towed, 
and  simply  because  they  are  ligged  to  carry  a  limited  amount  of  canvas. 
Two  sources  of  error  result  from  this  grouping:  (1)  Wind  is  made  a  more 
important  motive  power  than  it  really  is,  and  {2)  the  new  sailing  ves- 
sels are  made  to  appear  very  large,  while  in  fact  they  are  generally 
very  small  vessels.  Peihaps  these  sources  of  error  could  be  eliminated 
by  introducing  a  new  group  to  be  known  as  schooner  barges.  To  do 
this,  the  statutes  would  first  have  to  be  altered. 

Most  of  the  vessels  of  the  old  schooner  fleet  are  now  regularly  towed, 
but  as  they  are  still  rigged  they  are  classed  with  the  sailing  vessels, 
with  the  result  that  wind,  according  to  the  statistics,  still  appears  to 
be  relied  upon  to  a  very  large  extent  as  a  propelling  force.  This  source 
of  error  can  not  apparently  be  removed  from  the  classification,  for 
most  of  these  vessels  are  in  a  position  to  run  independently  at  any 
moment.  As  these  vessels  are  not  replaced  by  similar  vessels  as  they 
become  too  old  for  service,  or  are  wrecked,  errors  due  to  their  exist- 
ence will  gradually  disappear.  The  statistics  of  our  foreign  trade  car- 
ried on  over  the  lakes  leave  little,  if  anything,  to  be  desired.  The  laws 
seem  to  be  sufficiently  stringent,  and  they  appear  to  be  rigidly  enforced. 
Our  foreign  commerce  over  the  lakes,  however,  is  comparatively  small, 
so  these  wise  regulations  only  cover  a  small  portion  of  the  lake  traffic. 
For  several  reasons  the  custom  house  records  of  the  coastwise  com- 
merce of  the  lakes  are  unreliable. 

First  of  all,  the  laws  governing  the  filing  of  manifests  are  not  what 
they  should  be.  They  are  faulty  in  three  respects,  and  these  were 
pointed  out  by  Mr.  C.  H.  Keep,  in  his  report  of  1891  on  "  The  Commerce 
and  Shipping  of  the  (Jreat  Lakes."  They  are  as  follows:  Under  exist- 
ing laws  vessels  carrying  goods  from  a  port  in  one  collection  district 
to  another  port  in  the  same  district  are  not  required  to  report  or  clear 
at  the  custom  houses,  and  there  is,  therefore,  no  record  in  the  custom- 
houses of  the  commodities  so  carried.  But  as  the  local  business  on  the 
lakes  is  very  small,  this  does  not  seriously  impair  the  accuracy  of  the 
records.  Second,  there  are  a  number  of  small  ports  on  the  lakes  where 
there  are  no  custom-houses,  but  at  which  a  la-^ge  lake  business  is  done. 
Third,  under  the  regulations  that  now  obtain,  a  ship  may  clear  from  a 
port  on  the  lakes  for  another  port,  and  may  stop  at  one  or  more  inter- 
mediate ports,  where  she  may  receive  and  discharge  cargo  without 
reporting  at  the  custom-houses  of  the  intermediate  ports. 

The  records  of  the  custom-houses  at  the  intermediate  ports  will  show 
only  the  business  done  at  such  ports  by  vessels  which  make  them 


20  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

their  original  port  of  departure  or  ultimate  port  of  destination.  To 
the  extent  to  wbicli  the  ports  are  iuterniediate  ports,  the  records  of 
the  custom  house  will  fall  short  of  the  business  transacted  at  these 
ports.  Errors  due  to  this  cause  .seriously  affect  the  value  of  the  records, 
and  will  probably  do  so  to  an  increasing  extent,  for  the  traffic  of  the 
intermediate  ports  seems  to  be  growing.  The  inaccuracies  resulting 
from  these  three  sources  of  error  seriously  impair  the  value  of  the 
records  of  the  coastwise  commerce  of  the  Great  Lakes.  There  are,  how- 
ever, still  other  sources  of  error,  and  in  comparison  with  which  those 
just  enumerated  are  unimportant.  The  requirements  of  the  law  are 
not  always  scrupulously  fultilled.  The  manifests  covering  cargoes  that 
are  tiled  in  the  custom-houses  in  compliance  with  the  law  do  not  always 
give  the  cargoes  correctly. 

Inaccuracies  are  due  to  the  following  causes:  (1)  Masters  are  per- 
mitted, under  certain  circumstances,  to  clear  at  the  same  time  they 
enter — this  custom  is  productive  of  error  because  masters  may  not,  for 
a  variety  of  reasons,  take  aboard  what  they  supposed  they  would  when 
they  cleared;  (2)  masters  do  not  often  know  what  thej^  have  on  board 
when  they  clear,  even  after  their  vessels  are  loaded — in  some  cases  the 
statements  on  the  basis  of  which  freight  is  collected  are  made  up  after 
the  ship  has  left  port,  and  forwarded  to  the  captain  by  mail  or  tele- 
graph, and  in  numerous'^instances  cai)tains  never  know  what  they  have 
on  board,  as  they  are  simply  directed  to  go  to  a  certain  place  and  load 
(the  manager  of  the  dock  being  informed  how  much  to  put  on),  and 
then  ordered  to  depart  fpr  a  certain  port,  where  the  manager  of  the 
dock  assumes  all  responsibility  for  records;  (3)  in  the  case  of  miscella- 
neous cargoes,  it  would  be  necessary  to  delay  the  departure  of  the  boats 
in  some  cases  in  order  to  give  a  correct  statement  of  the -cargoes,  so  the 
manifests  are  likely  to  be  the  captains'  estimates  of  what  they  have  on 
board,  and  (4)  some  errors  are  due  to  indifference — in  the  minds  of 
some  captains  the  filing  of  a  manifest  is  a  mere  form,  for  statistics,  in 
their  opinion,  have  no  value. 

Any  attempt  to  remedy  these  evils  should  take  cognizance  of  the  fact 
that  vast  sums  of  money  have  been  expended  in  terminal  facilities,  in 
order  to  secure  dispatch  in  loading  and  unloading,  and,  therefore,  regu- 
lations that  would  detain  vessels  would  undo  that  which  has  been 
gained  at  an  enormous  expenditure  of  money  and  energy.  If  captains 
are  forced  to  file  correct  statements  of  cargoes,  vessels  would  in  many 
cases  be  detained  for  some  hours,  and  captains  put  to  great  incon- 
venience and  to  considerable  expense.  The  docks  are  usually  scattered 
over  an  enormous  extent  of  territorj;-.  If  a  vessel  finishes  loading  at  1 
o'clock  at  night,  the  captain  may  be  forced  to  walk  several  miles  to  the 
custom-house,  as  the  street  cars  have  probably  stopped  running,  or 
secure  a  carriage  at  no  little  inconvenience  and  expense.  Perhaps  ac- 
curate statistics  could  be  obtained  and  greater  dispatch  given  to  ves- 
sels by  making  the  shippers  instead  of  the  captains  responsible  for 
reports. 

Before  leaving  the  data  furnished  by  the  Treasury  Department  a  word 
must  be  said  about  the  report  on  "The  Commerce  and  Shipping  on  the 
Great  Lakes,"  made  by  Mr.  C.  H.  Keep,  secretary  of  the  Lake  Carriers' 
Association,  and  which  formed  a  part  of  the  "Eeport  on  the  Internal 
Commerce  of  the  United  States  for  the  year  1891."  Mr.  Keep,  wherever 
possible,  went  back  of  the  returns  of  the  custom-houses,  and  so  in  a 
measure  eliminated  the  errors  of  these  returns.  Especial  value,  there- 
fore, attaches  to  his  statements. 

The  facts  furnished  by  the  Department  of  War  fall  under  two  heads, 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  21 

(1)  tliose  based  upon  the  custom-house  records,  and  (2)  those  collected 
independently.  For  the  most  part  the  statistics  published  by  the  War 
Department  are  based  ui)on  the  custom-house  returns,  and  no  attempt 
is  made  to  eliminate  the  errors  of  these  returns.  The  statements  ot 
traffic  throu.i>li  the  Detroit  River  and  of  the  business  transacted  at  the 
lake  ports  are  always,  I  believe,  based  upon  the  records  of  the  custom- 
houses, and  are  therefore  subject  to  all  the  criticisms  that  have  just 
been  passed  upon  these  records.  The  statements  of  the  traffic  through 
the  St.  Marys  Palls  are  based  upon  data  collected  at  the  canal  by  the 
oflicers  in  charge.  These  statements  sliould,  therefore,  accurately 
reflect  the  commerce  passing  througli  this  gateway.  Unfortunately, 
however,  they  do  not,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  great  care  is 
taken  by  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  canal  to  secure  accurate  infor- 
mation. The  efforts  of  the  officers  are  balked  because  of  the  failure 
of  the  lake  carriers  to  cooperate  with  them.  As  has  already  been 
stated,  in  many  cases  masters  do  not  know  what  they  have  on  board, 
and  can  not,  even  if  they  would,  give  a  correct  statement  of  their 
cargo.  Many  of  the  captains,  however,  have  a  supreme  contempt 
for  statistics,  and  so  do  not  attempt  to  (ill  out  the  forms  furnished  to 
them  correctly.  Ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  cai)tains  also  produces 
inaccuracies.  For  example,  the  blanks  furnished  by  the  officers  of  the 
canal  call  for  a  statement  of  the  anthracite  and  bituminous  coal  on 
board,  but  in  some  cases  these  items  are  not  given  correctly,  because 
the  masters  do  not  know  that  these  forms  of  coal  correspond  with  hard 
and  soft  coal,  resi)ectively.  After  all  criticisms  have  been  made,  how- 
ever, it  must  be  said  that  the  "!Soo"  canal  statistics  are  the  best  on  lake 
traffic  collected  by  the  Government. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  I  must  say  that  the  statistics  of  traffic  on 
the  Great  Lakes  collected  by  the  National  Government  are  simi)ly  an 
object  of  contempt  and  ridicule  among  those  engaged  in  lake  transpor- 
tation. It  scarcely  needs  to  be  said  tliat  the  shippers  and  carriers  are 
fully  aware  of  all  the  criticisms  that  I  have  made.  The  methods  of 
collecting  these  statistics  ought  to  be  radically  changed,  if  for  no  other 
reason,  simply  because  the  Government  can  not  afford  to  permit  its  work 
to  be  held  up  to  scorn.  Lake  shippers  ought  gladly  to  cooperate  with 
the  Government,  for  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  situation  is  abso- 
lutelj^  necessary  in  order  to  enable  Congress  to  make  a  wise  appropriation 
of  money  to  facilitate  commerce  on  these  waters.  Without  a  positive 
basis  of  facts  it  is  impossible  to  plan  a  judicious  scheme  of  improve- 
ments. Any  change  in  the  regulations  governing  the  collection  of 
statistics  which  will  delay  traffic  may  be  expected,  in  the  future  as  in 
the  past,  to  meet  the  opposition  of  the  lake  carriers.  If  the  slwpper 
instead  of  the  carrier  were  called  upon  for  a  statement,  there  need  be 
no  delay. 


22 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

Table  I, 
Commerce  moved  through  the  Detroit  River. 


Tear. 

Registered 
i    tonnage. 

Freight 
tonnage. 

Year. 

Registei'ed 
tonnage. 

Freight 
tonnage. 

1873  a 

9, 000,  000 

1889         

19,646  000     c  19,  717  860 

18806 

21)  235  249 

1800 

21,  684,  OHO       21,  750, 913 

1882 

17,872,182 

17,695.174 

1892  6 

24  785  000        26  SfiS  81!) 

1893/ 

23,091,899 

18,045,949 

,  16,777,828 

1885 

r   7i25  Rir.  fi7Q 

i29,(t00.000 
27,900,520 

1896J  

I 

1887 

1  18,864,250 

1  19,099,060 

1 

o  Brief  of  the  Lake  Carriers'  Association  in  opposition  to  the  placing  of  tlie  bridge  piers  in  the 
Detroit  River,  p.  19.  This  document  was  prepared  by  Mr.  C.  H.  Keep,  who  for  some  years  has  been 
secretary  of  the  Lake  Carriers"  Association. 

6  Report  on  the  internal  commerce  of  the  United  States  for  the  year  1891,  p.  xxxix.  The  figures 
do  not  in  any  case  include  the  tonnage  of  Canadian  vessels,  a  large  number  of  which  use  this  channel. 
During  the  year  1890,  according  to  the  estimate  by  Colonel  Poe,  3,500  Canadian  vessels,  having  an 
aggregate  registered  tonnage  of  350,000  tons,  passed  through  the  river. 

cFor  the  cargo  tonnage  of  1889,  see  Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part  II,  p.  275. 

dAnnual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  1892,  p.  2482. 

elbid.,  1893,  p.  3036. 

/Ibid.,  1894,  p.  2378. 

a  Ibid.,  189.5,  p.  3U68. 

A  Ibid.,  1896,  pp.  2895,  2896. 

i  Brief  of  the  LaKe  Carriers'  Association,  p.  15.     These  are  Mr.  C.  H.  Keep's  figures. 

j' The  statement  for  1896  was  furnished  by  Lieut.  Col.  G.J.  Lydecker.  The  freight  tonnage  for 
1891-1896,  as  given  by  the  Government  engineers,  includes  staples  and  only  such  staples  as  were  ship- 
ped on  vessels  that  cleared  from  some  United  States  port. 

Table  II. 

Statement  of  the  commerce  through  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  for  each  calendar  year  from 
its  opening  in  1S55. 


Date  of 
closing 


Tonnage  and  class  of  vessels. 


Sailing 
vessels. 


Registered 
tonnage. 


1855 
1856 
1857 


1865  . 
1866. 
1867  . 


June  18'' 

May  4 

May  9 

Apr.  18 

May  3 

May  11 

May  3 

Apr.  27 

Apr.  28 

May  2 

May  1 

May  5 

May  4 

May  2 

May  4 

Apr.  29 

Mav  8 


1870 

1871 

1872 May  11 

1873 ;  May  5 

1874 May  12 

1875 May  12 

1876 May  8 


1877 

1878  . 

1879. 

1880  . 

1881. 

1882. 

1883. 

1884. 

1885. 


May  2 
Apr.  8 
May  2 
Apr.  28 
May  7 
Apr.  21 
May  2 
Apr.  23 
May  6 
Apr.  25 


Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Dec. 
Deo. 
Dec. 
Dec. 


(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

1,045 
602 
555 


817 
939 
1,397 
1,064 
1,212 
1,519 


1,401 
1,091 
1,403 
1,718 
1,706 
1,663 
1,458 
1,709 


*  Excluded 
a  No  record  kept  until  18 


4 

from 


2,534 
calculation 


1,464 
1,733 
1,050 
1,476 
1,618 
1,735 
2,117 
2,739 
2,620 
3,609 
3,354 
4,584 


100  , 
50  i 
181  I 
372 
237 
371  I 
337 
306  I 


{a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 
1,411 
997 
1,008 
1,305 
1,155 
1,338 
1,828 
1,637 
2,004 
2,517 
1,734 
2, 033 
2,417 
2,451 
2,567 
3,121 
3,503 
4,004 
4,774 
4,315 
5,689 
5,380 
7, 424 


106,  296 

101,458 

180,  820 

219,819 

352,  642 

403, 657 

276, 639 

359,  612 

507, 434 

571,438 

409,  062 

458,  530 

556,  899 

432,  563 

524, 885 

690,  820 

752, 101 

914.  735 

1,  204,  446 

1,070,857 

1,  259,  534 

1,  541,  676 

1,  439,  216 

1,  667, 136 

1,677.071 

1,734,890 

2, 092, 757 

2, 468, 088 

2, 042,  259 

2, 997,  837 

3, 035, 937 

4,  219,  397 


of  average  dates. 
b  No  record  kept  until  1879. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


23 


Statement  of  the  commerce  through  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal,  etc. — Continued. 
j  Tonnage  and  class  of  vessels. 


Date  of      Date  of  

opening  ;    closing    i    q.^. 
canal.    1    canal.    Vessels. 


Unregis- 
tered 
craft. 


Total 
passages. 


Registered 
tonnage. 


1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 

1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 


I  May     1     Dec. 

May     7     Dec. 

Apr.  15  i  Dec, 

Apr.  20  I  Dec. 

Apr.  27  I  Dec, 
1  Apr.  18  !  Dec 
i  May  1 
I  Apr.  1? 
[  Apr.  25 
I  Apr.  21 
I  Apr.  21 


I  Dec.     5 

Dec.     6 

Dec.   11 

j  Dec.     8 

aDec.  14 


9,355 
7,803 
9,579 
10,  557 
10,191 
12, 580 
12,  008 
14,491 
17,  956 
18,615 
17,171 


4, 897, 
5, 130, 
7,221, 
8, 454, 
8,  400, 

10,  647, 
8,  949, 

13,110, 

16,  806, 

17,  249, 
17,  619, 


a  Date  of  closing  Canadian  canal. 


Average  date  of  opening  up  to  close  of  season  of  1893,  May  1. 
Average  date  of  closing  up  to  close  of  season  of  1893,  December  1 . 


Passenger  and  freight  traflBc. 


1855  . 

1856  , 

1857. 


18G8. 
1869. 
1870. 

1871  . 

1872  . 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876  . 
1877. 
1878. 
1879  . 
1880. 

1881  . 

1882  . 
1883. 

1884  . 

1885  . 
1886. 
1887. 


1890  . 

1891  . 

1892  . 


Passen- 
gers. 


4,270 
4,674 
6,650 


8,468 
18,  281 
16,  985 


Xet  tons. 
1,414 


5,278 
4,118 
8,884 


27, 236 
31,  656 
37,  066 
40,213 


11,  507 
11.346 

7,  805 
11,282 


101, 

124, 

91, 

91, 

110, 

170, 

295, 

430, 

714, 

706, 

894. 

1.  009. 

1,  352, 

2, 105, 

1,  629. 
2, 176, 

2,  507, 

2,  904, 

3,  008, 
2,  797, 

2,  574, 
3, 023, 

3,  039: 


Barrels. 
10,  289 
17,  686 
16,560 
13,  782 
39, 459 
50,  250 
22, 743 
17,  291 
31,975 

33,  937 

34.  985 
33,  603 
28.  345 
27.  372 

32,  007 

33,  548 
26,  060 

136,  411 

179^  855 
309, 991 
315,  224 
355, 117 
344,  599 
451,000 
523,  860 
605,  453 
344,  044 
687,  031 
1,  248,  243 

1,  440,  093 
1,759,365 
1, 572, 735 
2, 190,  725 

2,  228,  707 

3,  239, 104 
3, 780, 143 
5,  418, 135 
7, 420,  674 
8,  965,  773 
8,  902,  302 
8,  882,  858 
8,  921, 143 


Bushels. 

{a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

49,  700 
1,  376,  705 
567, 134 
2, 119,  997 
1,120,015 
1,213,788 
1, 971, '549 
1.  349,  738 

1,  872,  940 

2,  603,  666 
2, 105,  920 

3,  456,  965 
3,  728,  856 
5,  900. 473 

11,  985,  791 

15,  274,  213 
18,  991,  485 
23,  096,  520 
18,  596, 351 
16,231,854 

16,  217,  370 
38, 816,  570 
40,  994,  780 
43,481,652 
34,869,483 
40,218,250 
63, 256, 463 
55,  924,  302 


Grain, 

other  than 

wheat. 


33,  908 
22,  300 
10,  500 
71,738 

133,  437 
76,  830 
59, 062 
78,  480 

143,  560 


229.  926 

249,  031 
285, 123 
323.  501 
304,  077 

308,  823 
445,  774 

309,  645 
149,  999 

250,  080 
407,  772 
343,  542 
264,  674 
951,  496 

2,  547, 106 

367, 838 

473, 129 

776,  552 

517, 103 

422,  981 

715,373 

775, 166 

2,  022,  308 

2, 133,  245 

2,  044,  384 

1,  032, 104 

1,  666,  690 

2,  405,  344 
1,  545,  008 
8, 328,  694 

27, 448,  071 
24,  889,  688 


Manufac- 
tured and 
pig  iron. 


Net  tons. 
1,040 
781 
1,325 
2,597 
5,504 


Barrels. 

587 
464 

1,500 
950 

2,737 


4,194 
6,438 
6,681 
7,643 
7,346 

13,  235 
20,  602 

22,  785 

23,  851 
42,  959 
54.  984 
86, 194 
44, 920 
31,741 
54,  381 
64,  091 
39,  971 

14,  882 
39,218 
46,  791 
87,  830 
92, 870 

109,  910 
72,  428 
60,  842 

115,  208 
74, 919 
63,  703 
57,  561 

116,  327 
69,  741 

101,520 
89, 452 
60,  659 
100,  337 
121, 872 
135, 164 


3,014 
2,477 
1.506 
1,776 
3,175 
4,454 
5,316 
4,624 
5,910 

36;  199 
42,  690 
29,  335 

42,  231 

43,  989 
46,  666 
63, 188 
63, 520 
92,  245 
77,916 
65,  897 

176,  612 
70,  898 
144, 804 
136,  355 
158,  677 
204,  908 
210, 433 
168,  250 
179, 431 
234,  528 
275,  740 
228,  730 
237,  461 
269,  919 
237, 515 
285, 449 


a  None  shipped  from  Lake  Superior  until  1870. 

The  traffic  through  the  Canadian  Canal,  which  was  opened  to  commerce  September  9,  1895,  is 
included  in  above  statement  for  seasons  of  1895  and  1896. 


24 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Statement  of  the  commerce  through  Si.  Marys  Falls  Canal,  etc, — Continued. 


1855 
1856 
1857. 


1862  . 
1863. 
186J  . 
1865. 
1866  . 


1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 
1880. 


1884, 
1885  . 


1891. 
1892. 
1893  . 
1894. 
1895. 
1896. 
1897. 


Passenger  and  freight  traffic. 


Copper. 


Iron  ore.    |     Lumber. 


Net  tons. 
3, 196  i 
5,727  i 
5,760 
6,744 
7,247  I 
9,  000  I 
7,645  I 
6,881  1 
1,  044  ' 
5,331  I 
9,935 
9, 550  , 

10,  585  ; 

12,222  1 


11,301 
14,  562 
14,  591 

15,927 
]5,346 
18, 396 
25, 756 
16.  767 
22,  529 
22,  309 
21,  7o3 
29, 488 
25, 409 
31, 024 
36,  062 
31,927 
38,  627 
34,  886 . 
28,  960 
33, 
43, 
69. 
64, 
87, 
99, 

107, 

116, 

122, 


456 
729 
190 

993 : 

530 
573  , 

452  1 
872  1 
324  I 


Xet  tons.    ! 
1,447 
11, 597 
?6, 184 
31,035 
65, 769 
120.  000 
44,  836 
113,014  I 
181,567  ' 
2 13,  .753 
147,459 
152,102 
222,861  ' 
191,939 
239,368  ' 
409,850 
327,461  I 
383,105  I 
504,121  : 
427,658  ! 
493,408 
609,752  1 
568,082  ' 
555,750 
540,075 
677,073 
748,131 
987,060 
791,732 
1,136,071  1 
1,235,122 
2,087,809 
2,497,713 
2,570.517 
4,095,855 
4,774,768 
3,560,213  I 
4,901,132 
4,  014, 556 
6,  548,  876 
8,  062,  209 
7, 909,  250 
10, 633,  715 


Feet,  B.  M. 
126,  000 
395,  000 
572,  000 
185,  000 


394,  000 

196,000 

1,411.000 

2,  001,  000 

822,  000 

\U,  000 

300,  000 

1,119,000 

1,  260,  000 

722,  000 

1, 072,  000 

1,  742,  000 

1, 162,  000 

638,  000 

5,391,000 

17,761,000 

4, 143,  Olio 

24,119,000 

35,  598, 000 

44,  539,  000 

58,  877,000 

82,  783, 000 

87,131,000 

122,  389,  000 

127, 984,  000 

138,  688,  000 

165,  226,  000 

240,  372,  000 

315,  .'■)54,  000 

361,  929,  000 

366,  305,  000 

512,814,000 

588,  545,  000 

722,  788,  yOO 

740,  700,  000 

684,  986,  000 

805,612,000 


Silver 
ore  and 
bullion. 


Net  tons. 
(a) 
(a) 
(a) 
(a) 
(a) 
(a) 
(a) 
(«) 
(a) 
(a) 
(n) 
(a) 
(") 
(a) 
{a) 
92 
464 


Building 
stone. 


443 
847 
985 
987 
650 
3V4 
66 

■""22 

814 

9,  731 

3,669 

2, 009 

350 

3,385 

5,947 

3, 432 

1,731 

1,930 

2,470 

412 

100 

240 

5 


Net  tons, 
(b) 

(&) 
(l» 

(b) 
W 
ib) 
(h) 
(b) 
ib) 
(b) 
ib) 
(b) 
(b) 
(b) 

2,917 
5,228 
5,213 
2,218 
401 
2,978 
2,102 
2,  506 
2,754 
2,  226 
2,  28:: 
1,400 
5,428 
2,  405 
6,  047 
8,189 
9,449 
13,  401 
33,  541 
33,  538 
47, 973 
44,  080 
39,  698 
19,  426 
21,417 
23,  876 
17,731 
6,249 


TTuclassi- 

fled 
freight. 

Net  tons, 
(e) 

(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(<■) 
('•) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 
(c) 

{<■) 

(c) 

(«) 

(c) 

(<■) 

(C) 

(c) 

(c) 

(c) 
129,031 
172, 167 
191,571 
207, 173 
184,  963 
230,  726 

344,  586 

345,  854 
312,410 
371,  294 
417,  093 
4.59,146 
415, 180 
451,185 
463,  308 
520,851 
579, 048 


Total 
freight. 


Net  tons. 

(d) 

id) 

id) 

(d) 

id) 

(d) 

id) 

(d) 

id) 

(d) 

(d) 

id) 

(d) 

(d) 

(d) 

id) 

(d) 

id) 

id) 

id) 

id) 

(d) 

(d) 

(d) 

Ui) 

id) 
1,567,741 
2,  029,  521 
2,  207, 105 

2,  874,  557 

3,  250,  628 

4,  527,  7.59 
5,494,049 
6,411,423 
7,516,022 
9,041,213 
8,  888,  759 

11,214,333 
10,  796,  572 
13, 195, 860 

15,  062,  580 

16,  239, 061 
18,982,755 


a  No  record  kept  until  1870. 

b  None  shipped  from  Lake  Superior  until  1870. 


cNo  record  kept  until  1881. 
rfNo  record  kept  until  June,  1881. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  25 

Katimated  vahie  of  freight,  hij  iie.m-s,  fhroufih  St.  Marj/s  Falls  Canal,  MicliUjan. 


Items.. 

1887. 

1888.    : 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

«4,  735, 454 

7,  863,  675 
22,  634,  590 

759,  653 

3, 035,  750 

241,468 

204,  908 

6,  977,  200 

8,  741,  995 
2,  974,  068 

53,  826 

134,  010 

20,  675, 160 

$7,  367,  644 
10,  953, 625 
18,  224,  424 
1,981,862 
2,442,950 
252,348 
210,433  1 
5,  792,  000 
8,996,808 
4,320,696  i 
520,579 
335,410  1 
20,751,240  ] 

$5,  702, 190 

11.143,535 

15,907,217 

2,  090,  580 

1,  577,  250 

442,  272 

168, 250 

6, 691.  200 

14,  335,  492 

5,  679,  972 

914.  589 

335,  380 

18,  744,  600 

$7, 619,  238 
16,195,520 

15.  893,  022 
2, 003, 490 
4,  680,  750 

386,104 

179,  431 

8,  745,  800 

16,  711,  688 
6,514,722 

527,  807 

479,  730 

22, 277,  640 

$8.  776,  362 

Flour         

18.900,715 

Wlieat 

38,  040,  239 

Grain  (other  than  wheat)  . . . 

1,011,462 
2.128,000 

*462, 077 

Salt                                 

234, 528 

13,838,000 

Ti'n  1  nrp 

12,  460, 744 

C,  593,  490 

Silver  ore  and  bullion 

266,211 
440,  800 

TJnrlissTtied  frei'^ht 

25, 025,  580 

Total 

79,031,757 

82,156,019  j 

1 

83,  732,  527 

102.214,948 

128, 178,  208 

Items. 

1892. 

1 

Coal  (liard  and  soft) 

$10, 164.  931 

21,  672,  540 

30,  746,  085 

933,  346 

!        2,  988,  600 

.1            709,716 

J            275,740 

$10, 

09 

Wheat 

Grain  (other  than  w 
Manufactured  iron . 
pjo-  iron 

heat")"! 

32, 

1, 
2, 

SaU 

Copper 1 


Iron  ore . 
Lumber  . 
Silver  ore  and  bullion  . .. 

Building'  -stone 

Unclassifled  fi eight 


600  j 
17, 153, 962 
9,231,192  ! 
296,815  i 
396,  980 
27,  548,  760 


Total. 


117,  267       145, 436, 957 


1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

.$8,191,917 

.$6,  993,  351 

$8,  452,  072.  50 

33,  621,  649 

33,  383,  632 

34, 199,  003.  30 

22,  316,  469 

30,  041,  8C3 

47,  442,  .347.  25 

772, 504 

4, 164,  347 

10,  704,  747.  69 

1,805,350 

3,  683, 150 

4,  696,  200.  00 

331,452 

346,  788 

377,  298.  00 

237, 461 

202,  439 

178,136.25 

19,  914,  600 

21,490,400 

23,  374,  400.  00 

17,  027,  078 

22,332,319 

25,  705, 062. 50 

11,  564,  608 

8,  888,  400 

8,  502,  325. 00 

40, 144 

11,200 

26,  8S0.  00 

214, 170 

238,  760 

177,  310. 00 

27,  071, 100 

27,  798, 480 

31,  251,  060.  00 

143, 114,  502 

159,  575, 129 

195, 146,  842. 49 

Eesulis  ohtained  from  discnfision  of  traffic  statistics. 


Total  uiileton.s 


1887 4, 458, 

1888 5,173, 

1889 '     5,  940, 

1890 7,207, 

1891 7,  292, 

1892 9,222, 

1893 8,980, 

1894 10,  927, 

1895 12,502, 

1896 ,  13,582, 


544,  804 
132,972 

640,  352 
299,  415 
462,  269 
773,  938 
310,  240 
871,  324 
548,  892 

641,  886 


transportati 


Cost  of 
carrying 
per  mile- 


$10, 075, 

7,  883, 

8,  634, 

9,  472, 
9,  849, 

12, 072, 
9,  957, 
10, 798, 
14,  238, 
13,  511, 


2lills. 
2.3 
1.5 


1.3 


1.35 
1.31 
1.1 
.99 
1.14 


Average 
distance 

freight 
was 

caiTied . 


Vplue  of 

American 

craft. 


$17, 684,  550 
20,  381, 100 
790.  4  25,  328,  600 
797.  2  27, 857,  700 
820.4  i  31,947,300 
822. 4  j  36,  220, 100 
831.9  1  39,017,400 
821.1  I  41,124,200 
830  I  40,858,800 
836.4     43,006,200 


Value  of 

Canadian 

craft. 


$2, 089,  400 
1,  514,  300 
1,597,600 
1,777,800 
2,119,500 
2, 108,  700 
2,115,700 

1,  959,  800 

2,  037,  000 
2, 135,  300 


I'ropor- 
tion  of 
Irtight 
[•arriedby 
Canadian 
vessels. 


3.5 

4 

3.8 

4.1 

3.5 

3.75 

4 


26 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 
Table  III. 


Number  and  gross  tonnage  of  sailing  vessels,  steam  vessels,  and  barges,  respectively,  on  the 
Northern  Lakes,  a 


Sailing  vessels. 


Fiscal  year. 


Num- 
ber. 


1851 

1862 1,153 

1868 1,S55 

1869 1,752 

1870 1,699 

1871 1,662 

1872 1,654 

1873 l,6iia 

187.t 1,696 

1875 1,710 

1876 1  1,643 

1877 1,604 

1878 1,546 

1879 1,473 

1880 1,459 

1881 1,417 

1882 1,412 

1883 1  1,373 

1884 1  1,333 

1885 1,322 

1886 1,235 

1887 ,  1,286 

1888 1,277 

1889 1,285 

1890 1,212 

1891 1  1,243 

1892 ;  1,226 

1893 ;  1,205 

1894 1  1,139 

1895 1  1,100 

1896 j  1,044 

1897 993 


Steam  vessels. 


Num- 
ber. 


138, 000 
257, 689 
293,  978 
277,  893 
264,  609 
267, 153 
270,051 
298,  002 
336,  8U1 
339,  787 
331,  498 
324,  394 


313, 652 
310. 454 
307,  733 
313, 129 
282,  319 
315,  079 
314,  765 
325,  083 
328,  656 
325, 131  I 
319,617 
317, 789 
302,  985 
300,  642 
309,  152 
334,104 


923 

918 
896 
931 
988 
1,101 
1,149 
1,165 
1,175 
1,280 
1,225 
1,342 
1,455 
1,527 
1,592 
1,631 
1. 731 
1,731 
1,755 
1,792 
1,775 


74,  000 
125, 620 
144,117 
146,  237 
142,973 
149,  468 
162,  523 
180,250 
198, 121 
202,  307 
201,  743 
201,085 
201, 550 

212!  045 
260, 115 
292. 257 
304, 642 
322, 456 
335,  859 
381,  908 
390,  398 
480, 138 
575,  307 
652, 923 
7.36,  752 
763,  063 
828, 702 
843,  240 
857, 735 
924,  631 
977,  235 


Barges. 


Num- 
ber. 


64 

103 

114 

132 

161 

177 

216 

193 

188 

192 

183 

170 

165 

162 

164 

156 

126 

111  1 

101  ) 

84 

78  i 

44 

54 

62 

69 

82 


15,  957 

22.  072 
27,  570 
31,208 
37, 863 
42,  559 

46,  323 
45, 140 
45, 585 

47,  207 
45,  296 
42,  226 
40,  965 
41,453 

42,  906 

43,  575 
34, 099 
30,810 
26, 132 
21,758 
18,  194 

7,274 
13,910 
20, 472 
25,  321 
37, 732 
39,  215 
39,  008 
45, 175 
60,  783 


Num- 
ber. 


1,502 
2,543 
2,491 

2,  455 
2,476 
2,  523 
2,642 
2,788 
2,794 
2,752 
2,719 
2,  647 
2,  539 
2,555 
2,567 
2,677 
2,678 
2,  624 
2,608 
2,616 
2,595 
2,697 
2,784 
2,853 
2,897 
2,926 
3,018 
2,955 
2,  936 
2,917 


214,000 

383,  309 

454. 052 

446,  202 

435, 152 

147,  829 

470,  437 

520,811 

581,245 

587,  234 

578, 826 

572,  686 

562,  755 

5.52,  602 

557,  942 

608, 004 

648,815 

6,38, 671 

t>64,  288 

679,  798 

690,  359 

727,  235 

813,097 

907,  664 

91)5,  489 

1,082,355 

1,108,001 

1, 184,  223 

1,185,440 

1,197,385 

1,278,958 

1,  372, 122 


a  These  figures,  with  the  exception  of  those  for  the  years  1851  and  1862,  were  obtained  either 
directly  from  the  Commissioner  of  Navigation  or  from  his  annual  reports.  Those  for  1851  were 
obtained  from  Andrew's  Report  on  Colonial  and  Lake  Trade  (1852),  Thirty-second  Congress,  second 
session.  House  Executive  Document  No.  136,  p.  49;  and  those  for  1862  from  Internal  Commerce  of  the 
United  States  (1891),  p.  x.  As  has  been  explained  in  the  text,  all  rigged  ve.ssels  are  classed  with  the 
sailing  craft.  Thus  most  of  the  vessels  commonly  regarded  as  barges  are  grouped  with  the  sailing 
vessels,  for  most  of  ihem  carry  some  canvas.  Nearly  all  the  old  schooners  are  now  regularly  towed, 
and  therefore  can  not  be  regarded  as  sailing  vessels,  m  the  old  sense  of  this  term. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


27 


Table  IY. 

Staiement  shotcing  class,  number,  and  gross  tonnage  of  vessels  built  and  documented  on  the 
northern  lakes,  a 


Sailing 

vessels. 

Steam  vessels. 

Barges. 

Total. 

Fiscal  year. 

Num- 
bar. 

Tons. 

Num. 
ber. 

Tons. 

Num- 
ber. 

Tons. 

Num- 
ber. 

Tone. 

20 
20 
41 
73 
157 

it 

36 
64 
77 
49 
46 
60 
105 
99 
70 
79 

55 
44 
65 
109 
130 
100 
80 
64 
47 
75 
140 
145 
116 
123 
93 
126 
71 
58 
75 
43 

5,011 
2,  377 
9,308 
13,  578 
70,  669 
6,425 
4,761 
8,595 

13;  339 
7,196 
12,  293 
15,  926 
21,418 
24, 487 
12. 490 
8.972 
3,802 
8,644 
11,542 
14,306 
49,  080 
34,100 
17,  253 
20,  206 
20, 229 
12,648 
47, 183 
87, 459 

86',  023 
93, 323 
34, 129 
76, 161 
34,  889 
26,516 
75.  744 
61,  787 

1861 

1 

1 

:"::::::::::::::.:....-.i. ...... 

1864 

1            1   ! 

1 i               ! 

1866 

1 

j 



1868 

1869                     

129 
83 
69 
60 
57 
112 
130 
62 
35 
29 
33 
30 
48 
52 
66 
34 
29 
30 
15 
35 
48 
32 
36 
30 
41 
21 
lo 

19 
26 

22,490 
14,  462 
10,  322 
13,  839 
12,  962 
40, 840 
43,  851 
12,  269 
2,507 
2,G86 
1,505 
1,173 
5,447 
12,  936 
16, 164 
6,  4:rl7 
7,667 
3,861 
5,232 
4,991 
9,131 

12',  803 
7,240 
3,474 
9,277 
5,473 
8,166 
21,  825 
39, 151 

28 
35 
9 

19 
15 
23 
22 
11 
6 
4 

5 
8 
14 
5 
3 
1 
5 
5 
8 

5 
12 
11 

8 
11 

6 

2 
14 
26 

4,238 
5,458 
3,289 
3,795 
4.019 
6,818 
4,733 

1,  620 

2,  469 
551 
130 
579 

1,356 
3,111 

1',  158 

10 

768 

412 

378 

468 

678 

6,739 

6,853 

5,449 

11,867 

429 

446 

10,185 

12,  722 

221 
195 
127 
125 
132 
240 
251 
143 

IS 

90 
79 
121 
175 
201 
137 
110 
99 
07 
118 
190 
182 
164 
164 
142 
1        158 
95 

:      95 

38,  010 
33, 259 

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

20,  807 
29  927 
32, 907 
69, 076 
73,  071 
26,  379 
13,  948 
7,039 

1878 

1879 

10, 279 
13,294 

21,109 

1881 

65, 127 

52, 252 

1883 

24, 848 

1884 

27, 883 

1885 

24,  858 

1886 t 

18,  292 

52,  552 

1888 

97,  058 

1889            

102,483 

1890 

105.  565 

107,  416 

1892 

43,  053 

97,  305 

1894 

40, 791 

1895 

35, 128 

1896                        

107, 754 

1897 

113,  660 

a  Tlie  figures  covering  the  steamboat  construction  from  1800  to  1867,  inclusive,  were  taken  from  Tenth 
Census,  Transportation  (Vol.  IV),  p.  669.  The  others  were  either  furnished  to  me  directly  by  the 
Commissioner  of  Navigation  or  obtained  from  his  annual  reijorts. 

Table  V. 
Average  gross  tonnage  of  sailing  and  steam  vessels  built  on  the  northern  lales. 


Fiscal  year. 

Sailing 
vessels. 

Steam 

vessels. 

^i-alyear.                 \   f|^^f. 

Steam 
vessels. 

1868         .   . 

174. 34 
180.  26 
149.59 
230.  65 
227.  40 
364.  64 
337.  31 
197.88 
71.  62 
92.60 
45.60 
39.10 
113.47 
248.  77 
244. 90 
189.  31 
264. 39 

176. 28 
173.  23 
146. 85 
267.  22 
265. 43 
203.  99 
247. 34 

178. 29 
113.  57 

97.48 
157. 15 
262.32 
220.09 
450.28 
262.31 
172.53  i 
252.56 

1885 

128.70           316.07 

1869 

1870 

269. 10 
629. 10 
624. 70 
646.  25 
741.57 

1887 

142.60 

1889 

i      253.05 

!      355.65 

1874 

1891 

.  .   ..1      241  34 

758. 72 

1892    

84.74 

366.  98 

1876 

1893 

!      441.76 

604. 45 

1895  a 

!      304.05 

i'      144.86 

491. 39 

1878 

I      457. 17 

1897 

{l,,SJ^|  ■.««"' 

1882                                   

{!ijSkUS'.«"' 

1883 

1884 

1 

1 

a  The  upper  figures  of  the  years  1895-1897,  in  the  column  headed  sailing  vessels,  represent  the  averagie 
of  the  sailing  vessels  after  the  tonnage  of  the  steel  sailing  ves.sels  has  been  removed.  The  steel  sail, 
ing  vessels  are  commonly  known  on  the  lakes  as  barges.  The  average  should  be  still  further  reduced, 
as  several  large  wooden'  barges  have  been  built  in  recent  years.  In  the  years  previous  to  1895,  steel 
sailing  vessels  (barges)  were  constructed,  but  I  do  not  know  their  tonnage. 


28 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Table  YI. 
Gross  ionnage  constructed  on  the  northern  lalces,  shoicing  material  used. 


^-alyear.                I^-^- 

Iron  and  ' 

steel     ; 
tonnage.  1 

Fiscal  year. 

Wooden 
tonnage. 

Iron  and 

steel 
tonnage. 

'      20,082 

2,817  i 
5,831 

45 
1,  650 
9,180 
4.221 
6,078 
20, 018 

1889 

73,  068 
66, 964 
49,  428 
14, 594 
34,  480 
20,851 
11,932 
27,  330 
13,  281 

29,  415 
38  602 

1881 

67,673 

52,041 

1890 

1889 

1891 

57,  989 

1884 

1885 

26,233 

1       15,678 

1893 

1894 

62,  825 
19, 950 

1887 

46,475 

81,085 

1896 

1897 

80, 424 

a  These  figures  were  obtained  either  directly  from  the  Commissioner  of  Navigation  or  from  his 
annual  reports.  Iron  has  been  used  only  to  a  very  liinited  extent  about  the  great  lalses:  the  third 
column  is  composed  almost  wliolly  of  steel  tonnage.  The  total  iron  tonnage  now  atioat  probably  does 
not  exceed  35,000  tons. 

Table  VII. 

Average  freight  rates  on  wheat  {per  bushel)  from  Chicago  to  New  York  by  lake  and  canal, 
by  lake  and  rail,  and  by  all  rail. 


Calendar  year. 


I  By  lake  j 
I      and 
I  canal,  a 


By  lake 
1  and  rail. 


ByaU 
rail. 


Cents. 

1857 625.29 

1858 16.28 

18.19 17.59 

1860 24.83 

1861 26.55 

1862 26.33 

1863 22.91 

1864 28.36 

1865 26.62 

1866 29.61 

1867 i  22.36 

1868 ,  22.79 

1869 1  25.12 

1870 17.11 

1871 20.24 

1872 1  24.47 

1873 '  19.19 

1874 14.10 

1875 11.43 

1876 9.58 


Cents.  Cents. 

'.'.'.V.'.'.'.]"'i3S.hi 

34.80 

34.80 

41.  .58 

'  48.00 

49.20 

60. 00 

44.88 

46.20 

I  44.75 

&29.00  I  37.84 

25.00  i  35.57 

22.00  30.00 

25.00  31.80 

28. 00  34.  99 

26. 90  81.  02 

16.  90  26.  25 

14.  60  24.  00 

11.  80  16.  86 


1877. 

I  1878. 
I  1879. 

1880. 

1881. 

1882. 

1883. 

1884. 

1885. 

1886. 
'  1887 

1888. 
j  1889. 

1890. 

1891. 
I  1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 


By  lake 

and 
canal,  a 

By  lake 
and  rail.  1 

Cents. 

Ceaits. 
15.80 

11.24 

9.15 

1L40 

11.60 

13.30 

12.27 

15.70 

8.19 

10.40 

7.89 

10.90  , 

8.37 

11.50  i 

6.31 

9.55  1 

5.87 

9.02 

8.71 

12.00 

8.51 

12.00 

5.93 

11.00 

6.89 

8.70  ! 

5.85 

8.50  1 

5.96 

8.53 

5.61 

7.55 

6.33 

8.44 

4.44 

7.00  I 

4.11 

6.95 

d6.19 

6.61  ! 

1 

Cents. 
20.50 
17.70 
17.74 
19.80 
14.40 
14.47 
16.20 
13.20 
13.20 
15.00 
15.75 
14.50 
15.00 
14.30 
15.00 
13.80 
14.63 
13.20 
11.89 
12.00 


a  Including  canal  tolls 
b  Statistical  Abstract,  1 


Jtil  1882,  but  not  Buifalo  transfer  charges. 
36,  p.  327. 

c  Report  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1895,  p.  115. 

d  The  rates  for  1896  were  obtained  from  Report  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1896,  p.  ll.'i 
and  canal  rate  for  1896  includes  Buffalo  charges. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


29 


Freight  rates  on  wheat  (pei-  bushel)  by  lake  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo. a 


Year. 

Cur- 
rency.6 

Gold.c 

.    Tear. 

Cur- 
rency. 

Gold. 

1857 

1858 

Cents. 

■s'.ie 

5.08 

1L53 
10.49 
7.51 
9.58 
9.78 
12.34 
6.67 
7.14 
6.81 

7!  62 
11.46 
7.62 
4.03 
3.42 
2.90 

Cents. 

1878 

Gents. 
3.07 
4.74 
5.76 
3.44 
2.50 
3.41 
2.18 
2.02 
3.68 
4.13 
2.56 
2.51 
1.96 
2.38 
2.19 
1.66 
1.27 
1.92 
1.63 
1.56 

Cents. 
3.027 

1880 

1860 

1881 

1882 

1883 

1862 

10. 234 
5.175 
6.160 
4. 523 
8.808 
4.995 
5.155 
5. 022 
4.847 
6.883 

10.  504 
6.761 
3.617 
3.040 
2.570 
3.502 

1884 

1885 

1865 

issiV^V^'.'.V.'.'.'.'.'. '.'.'.'.'.'..'..'. 

1888 

1866                             

1867 

1868 

1889 

1869 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1894 

1895 

1896d 

1874 

1876 

1877             .           

aOut  of  the  rates  received  tbe  vessel  must  bear  charges  for  trimming,  tallying  weights,  ajid  shovel- 
ing in  the  hold  to  elevator  legs  when  unloading.  In  1896  the^e  charges  aggregated  $4.75  per  1,000 
bushels,  or  nearly  one-half  cent  per  bushel;  in  1897  they  were  reduced  to  about  $4.35. 

6  The  rates  were  obtained  from  the  reports  of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange. 

cin  converting  currency  prices  into  gold  I  have  used  the  value  of  gold  in  currency  as  given  for 
January  of  each  year  in  the  American  Almanac  for  1878. 

d  Report  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1896,  p.  113. 

« Marine  Kecord,  Dec.  16,  1897,  p.  8. 


PART  11. 

I.— FLOUR  AND  GRAIN  TRAFFIC. 

Previous  to  1850  the  importance  of  the  great  interior  water  routes 
can  not  easily  be  overestimated.  The  commerce  of  tbe  great  agricul- 
tural States  of  the  West  drifted  to  the  two  great  natural  waterways,  the 
Mississippi  liiver  running  to  tlie  south,  and  the  Great  Lakes  and  their 
eastern  outlets,  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Wellaud  Canal,  in  conjunction 
with  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  running  to  the  east.  Although  the  West 
possessed  these  two  unrivaled  waterways,  yet  there  were  but  few  locali- 
ties which  could  choose  between  the  two.  Physical  conditions  usually 
left  no  choice.  To  the  settler  near  the  lakes  the  eastern  route  was  the 
only  available  highway,  and  to  the  farmer  living  near  the  banks  of 
the  lMississii)pi  the  river  was  the  only  possible  route.  This  was  the  case 
because  laud  transportation  was  wellnigh  impossible.  The  value  to 
the  States  bordering  on  the  Creat  Lakes  of  the  lake  and  canal  ronte 
from  the  date  of  the  opening  of  the  latter  in  1825  down  to  the  middle 
of  the  century,  and  even  for  a  number  of  years  thereafter,  is  incomput- 
able. Over  the  Great  Lakes  and  through  the  canal  passed  the  bulk  of 
the  surplus  products  of  the  West  and  practically  the  whole  of  the 
merchandise  shipped  from  the  East  to  the  West. 

To  realize  fnlly  the  importance  of  the  water  routes,  even  up  to  a 
comparatively  late  day,  it  is  necessary  to  understand  the  services  it  was 
intended  the  early  railroads  should  render.  They  were  designed  to  con- 
nect waterways,  not  to  compete  with  them.  Before  the  construction  of 
railroads  the  traffic  of  the  couutry  that  was  other  than  local  in  character 
moved  upon  and  to  and  from  one  of  our  four  great  waterways.  These 
were  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  east,  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Erie 
Canal  and  St.  Lawrence  on  the  north,  the  Mississippi  River  and  its 
tributaries  on  the  west,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south.  This 
being  the  situation,  the  railroads  which  Avere  intended  to  serve  anything 
more  than  local  needs  sought  to  cooperate  with  one  of  these  waterways, 
and  the  projectors  of  nearly  all  the  railroads  which  it  was  hoped  would 
become  trunk  lines  sought  to  connect  two  or  more  of  the  four  great 
water  routes.  The  construction  of  the  great  trunk  lines  clearly  shows 
this,  and  nothing  could  more  strongly  emphasize  the  importance  of  the 
lake  route  at  this  early  day  than  the  uniformity  with  which  the  rail- 
roads sought  it.  A  glance  at  a  railroad  map  of  the  later  fifties  will  also 
clearly  show  that  the  water  routes  formed  the  base  of  all  the  great  trans- 
portation systems.  In  some  cases,  it  is  true,  the  water  routes  were 
l)aTalleled,  but  these  instances  were  com])aratively  rare,  and  even  in 
these  cases  the  railroads  were  not  regarded  as  competitors  of  the  water 
routes  for  through  traific  in  heavy  commodities.  Passenger  traffic, 
local  business,  and  through  freight  in  the  more  valuable  commodities 
were  the  main  reliance  of  the  railroads. 

This  state  of  affairs,  however,  was  very  much  changed  in  the  twenty 
years  covered  by  the  period  from  1860  to  1880.  These  two  decades 
were  replete  with  imi)rovements  in  rail  transportation.    Advances,  to  be 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  31 

sure,  were  also  made  in  water  transportation,  but  the  progress  made  in 
land  carriage  during  this  interval  was  much  the  greater.  Limitations 
of  space  forbid  a  detailed  presentation  of  the  imju-ovements  introduced 
that  made  the  railroads  efiective  competitors  of  the  lake  carriers.  Noth- 
ing more  than  an  enumeration  of  the  most  important  advances  cau  be 
attempted.  Progress  was  made  in  all  departments.  The  i)ermanent 
way  was  improved  by  reduction  of  grades,  better  alignment  of  track, 
improved  drainage  and  ballasting,  and  better  bridges.  J>ut  far  more 
important  th;in  these  imi)rovements  was  the  introduction  of  steel  rails. 
It  is  doubtful  if  the  railroads  could  ever  have  become  effective  competi- 
tors of  the  lake  carriers  without  steel  rails,  for  the  latter,  although  of 
transcendent  importance  in  tlieiuselves,  became  doubly  significant  be- 
cause of  the  advance  along  various  lines  that  they  made  jjossible.  The 
greatest  of  these  improvements  was  made  in  the  rolling  stock.  With 
stronger  tracks  much  heavier  engines  could  be  built,  and  cars  could  be 
loaded  more  heavily.  Steel  was  in  a  measure  substituted  for  iron  in 
the  construftiou  of  locomotives.  A  great  saving  was  made  by  the  change 
from  iion  to  steel  tires.  With  a  very  slight  increase  in  the  dead  weight 
of  cars,  the  carrying  capacity  was  doubled.  There  was  also  great  prog- 
ress made  in  making  up  and  running  trains. 

The  consolidation  of  connecting  lines  (and  the  extension  of  other  lines 
by  lease  or  by  purchase  or  by  new  construction)  which  had  set  in  before 
18G0  became  a  feature  of  railroad  history  during  the  period  covered  by 
the  years  intervening  between  1800  and  1880.  By  consolidation  the 
cheap  and  expeditious  movement  of  freight  between  distant  points  was 
greatly  furthered.  About  the  largest  expense  of  transportation  in  the 
early  days  was  the  transshij^ment  charges.  Consolidation  did  much  to 
obviate  the  necessity  of  frequent  transfers  of  freight.  But  even  after 
consolidation  had  made  considerable  progress  the  extended  movement 
of  bulky  freight  remained  subject  to  many  delays  and  charges,  due  to 
trausshiimient  at  connecting  points.  These  evils  were  in  a  large  measure 
overcome  by  the  organization  of  through  freight  lines.  But  one  more 
advance  can  be  mentioned — it  is  scientitic  rate  making.  This  has  revo- 
lutionized railroad  transportation.  In  the  i)rimitive  days  of  railroading 
the  toll  sheets  showed  but  little  differentiation  of  charges.  The  prin- 
ciple of  charging  what  the  traffic  would  bear  was  never  applied  with 
anything  like  thoroughness.  The  decisive  change  in  rate  making  came 
when  it  was  recognized  that  it  may  be  profitable  to  establish  a  rate 
which  will  result  in  a  net  gain,  however  small,  above  the  expenses  aris- 
ing strictly  from  the  mere  handling  and  moving  of  freight  and  such 
incidental  expenses  as  are  properly  applicable  to  it.  In  other  words,  it 
is  not  always  to  be  insisted  upon  that  any  given  traffic  miTst  bear  its 
full  share  of  the  total  expenses  of  the  road.  The  question  is,  rather, 
W^ill  this  traffic  form  a  profitable  auxiliary  of  the  existing  traffic? 

By  the  early  seventies  the  long  list  of  improvements  which  have  been 
enumerated,  and  others  of  less  importance,  but  nevertheless  of  great 
moment  in  the  aggregate,  had  progressed  so  far  as  to  change  the  rela- 
tion existing  between  the  lake  carriers  and  the  railroads.'  The  latter 
were  now  in  a  position  to  enter  into  effective  competition  with  the  lakes 
in  the  transportation  to  the  seaboard  of  the  agricultural  products  of 
the  West.  As  a  very  large  portion  of  the  east-bound  traffic  from  the 
West  was  at  this  time  composed  of  agricultural  products,  nearly  the 
entire  east-bound  business  now  became  competitive.^    In  1876  it  was 

'  Long  V)efore  this  the  railroads  had  demonstrated  their  ability  to  compete  with 
canals. 

-  In  this  statement  is  not  included  the  lumber  and  ore  traffic  of  what  is  known  as 
the  Lake  Superior  region. 


32  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

estimated  that  grain  and  Hour  constituted  about  50  per  cent  of  the 
entire  eastward  movement  of  through  freights.' 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  rail  rates — from  Chicago  to  New 
York,  for  example — were  now  as  low  as  the  lake  rates,  for  such  was  not 
the  case.  Eail  rates  had,  however,  fallen  so  much  that,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  several  advantages  ottered  by  rail  transportation,  rail 
rates  were  as  favorable  as  the  lake  rates,  even  though  the  latter  were 
slightly  lower.  It  may  be  well  at  this  point  to  state  that  the  published 
transportation  charges  are  not  to  be  accepted  without  modificatiou. 
The  lake  charges  are  approximately  correct;  but  the  rail  charges  are 
generally  too  high,  and  often  very  much  too  high.  The  latter  are  aver- 
ages of  the  ofticially  published  tariffs;  but  men  in  a  position  to  speak 
authoritatively  say  that  practically  no  grain  is  shipped  at  these  rates.^ 

When  grain  moves  eastward  to  the  seaboard  in  large  quantities  by  rail 
during  the  navigation  season  it  may  be  assumed,  with  considerable 
assurance,  that  the  through  rail  rate  is  very  nearly  as  low  as  the  lake 
and  rail  rate.  This  must  be  tlie  case,  because  the  advantages  of 
through  rail  shipment  over  lake  and  rail  are  not  sufficient  to  offset  any 
large  difference  in  rates.  These  advantages  will  be  briefly  stated. 
Kailroads  are  responsible  for  the  safe  delivery  of  goods  placed  in  their 
care.  The  shipper,  therefore,  does  not  insure  his  property,  wliieh  he 
would  feel  obliged  to  do  should  he  send  his  property  by  the  way  of  the 
lakes.^ 

Grain  carried  in  cars  during  the  seasons  of  the  year  when  grain  is 
likely  to  heat  arrives  in  better  condition  than  if  sent  by  water.  Grain 
already  out  of  condition  goes  better  by  rail,  but  not  much  importance 
is  now  to  be  attached  to  this  point,  as  grain  is  generally  Jjut  in  good  condi- 
tion before  it  is  shipped.^ 

Expedition  is  sometimes  desirable,  and  railroads  deliver  commodities 
with  greater  dispatch  than  the  lake  carriers.  The  terminal  facilities  of 
the  railroads  are  better  than  those  of  the  water  lines,  and  by  j)atron- 
izing  the  railroad  shippers  can  occasionally  save  considerable  sums  in 
the  form  of  cartage  charges.  This  is  more  true  of  flour,  corn,  and  oats 
than  of  wheat,  for  the  last  is  not  delivered  directly  to  consumers,  but 
is  first  delivered  to  millers,  who  have  terminal  facilities.  Flour,  corn,  and 
oats,  on  the  other  hand,  although  generally  not  delivered  directly  to  con- 
sumers, are,  however,  delivered  to  persons  at  least  one  step  nearer  the 
consumers  than  are  the  millers  who  receive  the  wheat.  During  the 
process  of  transshipment  there  is  some  loss  of  grain,  but  as  the  lake 
carriers  deliver  the  amount  for  which  they  give  receipts  the  shipi)er  loses 
nothing.  In  this  particular  the  shipper  rather  favors  the  lake  ro  ute, 
for  the  railroads  refuse  to  receipt  for  a  definite  amount,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence any  loss  in  transit  falls  upon  the  shipper  unless  he  can  clearly 
prove  that  there  was  a  loss  in  transit,  which  he  usually  finds  very 
difiHcult  to  do. 

In  case  the  grain  is  not  forwarded  on  a  through  bill  of  lading  a  por- 
tion of  the  cost  of  transshipment  falls  upon  the  shipper,  and  thus 
enters  as  one  of  the  deciding  influeuces  in  the  selection  of  a  route. 

'Internal  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  1876,  p.  67.  The  total  shipments  east 
from  Chicago  during  the  year  1878  amounted  to  1,862,385  tons;  to  tliis  sum  grain, 
flour,  seeds,  and  fued  contributed  3,137,032  tons,  or  a  little  more  than  61  per  cent. 
Almost  the  whole  of  the  balance  was  made  up  of  animals  and  their  products.  (Ibid., 
1879,  p.  99.) 

-For  transportation  rates  see  Appendix  II,  Table  VII. 

3 In  1872  the  rate  of  insurance  was  about  .$1  on  $100.  (Transportation  Eontes  to 
the  Seaboard,  vol.  1,  p.  17.)     It  is  now  about  30  cents  on  $100. 

^  All  the  modern  elevators  are  equipijed  with  apparatus  for  airing  and  drying  grain. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COM.MEROH.  33 

(Jraiu  ciinied  by  ''  wild"  vessels,'  that  is,  vessels  which  have  no  rail 
connections  and  are  not  running  under  contract,  but  flx  their  rates 
from  day  to  day  as  business  may  determine,  is  not  carried  on  through 
bills  of  lading,  and  the  owner  of  the  grain  would  therefore  pay  the 
elevator  charges.^  Terminal  charges  have  undoubtedly  been  in  some 
measure  responsible  for  the  diversion  of  the  grain  traftic  from  the  lake 
route;  they  nuiy  bo  found  in  Appendix  II,  Tables  I  and  II. 

When  the  raihoads  fouud  that  they  could  successfully  compete  with 
the  waterways  it  was  discovered  that  the  lack  of  suitable  terminal 
facilities  at  the  seaboard  cities  for  transferring  grain  from  cars  to  ocean 
vessels  and  for  storage  became  a  serious  handica]).  Down  to  about 
1865  none  of  the  trunk  lines  possessed  elevator  facilities  on  the  Atlan- 
tic Coast.  At  this  time  there  was  aii  elevator  built  at  a  wharf  on  the 
Delaware,  in  Philadelphia,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Pennsylvania 
liailroad  Company,  and  this  was  jirobably  the  first  stationary  elevator 
erected  on  the  Atlantic  Coast.^  IJp  to  the  close  of  the  year  1870  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  Company  was  the  only  road  which  had 
already  provided  adequate  terminal  facilities  for  the  handling  of  grain.^ 
New  York  City,  althougli  the  chief  port  of  the  export  grain  business, 
did  not  i)Ossess  a  single  stationary  elevator. 

The  use  of  elevators  would  have  necessitated  the  adoption  of  the 
western  method  of  handling  grain  by  "grades."  The  custom  of  selling 
grain  on  sample  had  become  too  tirmly  hxed  by  fifty  years  of  habit  to 
be  easily  nprooted,  and  especially  so  as  such  a  departure  would  seri- 
ously impair  the  value  of  enormous  vested  interests  of  the  very  per- 
sons who  were  expected  to  make  the  change.  The  great  expense 
involved  in  the  old  method  of  handling  grain  if  shipped  in  bulk  at  the 
railroad  terminals,  and  the  great  reductions  made  by  the  introduction 
of  elevators,  will  be  seen  by  the  following  statement  made  up  by  the 
general  freight  agent  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Eailroad: 

"Previous  to  January,  1872,  all  grain  shipped  to  Baltimore  in  bulk 
was  unloaded  by  hand,  at  an  expense  of  from  4  to  5  cents  per  bushel. 
At  this  time  the  company  completed  an  elevator  of  600,000  bushels 
capacity  and  reduced  the  charge  for  receiving,  weighing,  wharfage, 
delivering  to  vessels,  and  storing  for  ten  days  to  If  cents  per  bushel, 
by  which  means  also  the  detention  to  vessels  in  loading  was  reduced 
from  five  or  ten  days  to  as  many  hours.'"' 

Two  years  later,  when  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  entered  Chicago  and 
became  an  aggressive  competitor  for  a  share  in  the  movement  of  agri- 
cultural products  from  the  West,  all  the  other  trunk  lines  were  forced 
to  improve  their  terminal  facilities.  Without  ijroper  facilities  for 
handling  grain  at  the  seaboard  no  road  could  meet  the  competition  of 
the  lake  and  canal  route,  for  this  line  possessed  fairly  satisfactory 
terminals.  The  transfer  charge  of  from  4  to  5  cents  was  sufficient  to 
turn  grain  to  the  lake  and  canal  route.  Not  only  was  the  movement 
of  grain  by  rail  checked  by  the  high  charges  at  the  seaboard  terminals, 
but  it  was  at  times  entirely  inhibited  by  the  lack  of  facilities  for  removal 
of  grain  from  cars.     Mr.  0.  M.  Gray,  'assistant  general  freight  agent  of 

iThe  "wild"  vessels  of  the  lakes  are  the  tramp  vessels  of  the  ocean. 

^Charges  for  shoveling  amf  trimming  the  grain  in  the  hold  of  the  ship  are  paid  hy 
the  vessel. 

Development  of  Transportation  Systems  in  the  United  States,  Ringwalt,  p.  211. 

^  Report  of  the  Select  Committee  on  Transportation  Rontes  to  the  Seaboard, Vol.  I, 
p.  27. 

-■Ibid.,  Vol.11,  p.  346. 

"Ibid,  VoI.I,  p.  27. 

H.  Doc.  277 3 


34  STATISTICS    OV    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

the  Lake  Shore  aud  Micbigau  Soiitheru  kaih'oad,  in  testifying  before 
the  Senate  Committee  on  Transportation  Koutes  to  the  Seaboard, 
stated  that  the  hick  of  terminal  facilities  at  the  seaboard  for  promptly 
uuloading  cars  had  resulted  iu  such  a  shortage  of  cars  ou  the  Pittsburg, 
Fort  Wayne  aud  Chicago,  aud  ^Michigan  Central  iu  the  winter  of  1872-73 
that  these  roads  were  practically  forced  to  suspend  the  movement  of 
bulky  freight  for  a  period  of  six  weeks  because  of  a  lack  of  cars.  Uis 
own  road,  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern,  was  reduced  to  such 
straits  by  the  dearth  of  cars  that  it  was  forced  "  to  cut  off  all  freight  west 
of  Chicago  and  receive  nothing  except  the  local  freight  of  Chicago."^ 

Up  to  within  very  receut  times  our  Government  has  takeu  but  little 
interest  iu  our  internal  commerce,  aud  has  therefore  collected  but  little 
information  concerning  It,  and  thus  it  is  impossible  to  set  fortli  as  defi- 
nitely and  accurately  as  might  be  desired  the  diversion  of  the  grain 
business  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  railroads  and  from  the  latter  back 
to  the  former.  We  shall  in  the  main  be  forced  to  rely  for  statistics 
ni)on  the  reports  of  the  conimercial  bodies  of  the  cities  chiefly  con- 
cerned in  the  grain  business,  and  unfortunately  they  have  not  collected 
as  full  or  accurate  information  as  could  be  desired.  From  the  two 
sources,  however,  enough  information  can  be  obtained  to  i)resent  in  a 
rough  way  the  change  that  has  taken  place;  but  this  can  not  always 
be  done  in  the  simplest  manner. 

The  diversion  of  the  Hour  and  grain  traffic  from  the  lakes  to  the  rail- 
roads and  from  the  railroads  back  to  the  lakes  will  be  considered  under 
the  following  heads:  (1)  The  diversion  of  the  Hour  and  grain  business 
as  shown  by  the  movement  of  these  commodities  by  lake  and  rail  from 
Chicago;'-  (2)  the  diversion  (if  any  there  be)  as  shown  by  such  data  as 
we  have  of  the  total  eastward  movement;  and  (3)  the  export  move- 
ment from  tlie  West  through  the  Gulf  ports  will  be  examined — it  is  not 
only  a  diversion  from  the  lake  line,  but  also  from  the  east-bound  trunk 
lines. 

II.— THE  LAKE  AND  KAIL  TKAFFIC  EASTWARD  FROM  CHICAGO. 

In  the  early  sixties  the  railroads  began  to  make  serious  inroads  into 
the  flour  traffic  from  Chicago,  and  during  the  eighth  decade  secured 
the  lion's  share  of  this  business.  L'lour  was  the  first  heavy  commodity 
of  comparatively  low  value  that  the  railroad  carried  in  competition  with, 
the  water  lines.  The  railroads  gained  this  traffic,  partly  because  ship- 
ment by  lake  to  points  not  accessible  to  lake  craft  involved  a  trans- 
shipment, and  flour  could  not  be  transferred  with  the  same  ease  and 
facility  that  grain  could  be  transshipped ;  partly  because  expeditious 
delivery  is  frequently  demanded,  the  element  of  time  being  of  much 
greater  imi)ortance  in  the  movement  of  flour  than  that  of  grain,  and, 
■finally,  because  flour  can  not  be  stored  without  considerable  loss,  so  it 
■would  not  be  field  during  the  winter  for  the  opening  of  navigation  to 
so  large  an  extent  as  grain.  To  these  causes  may  be  added  a  fourth — 
tfie  cost  of  marine  insurance.  The  diversion  from  the  lakes  to  the  rail- 
roads of  the  traffic  in  flour  will  be  seen  from  the  table  in  Appendix  II, 
Table  III,  Part  I.  It  will  be  noted  that  from  the  opening  of  the  seventh 
decade  the  railroads  rapidly  monopolized  the  business,  and  continued  to 
do  so  until  the  year  ISSO.*^  Since  1885  the  relative  importance  of  the 
rail  lines  has  diminished.     In  1885  they  carried  almost  seven-eighths  of 

1  Transportation  Routes  to  the  Seaboard,  Vol.  II,  p.  280. 

2  A  table  showing  the  lake  and  rail  movement  of  flour  and  grain  from  Milwaukee 
may  be  found  in  Appendix  II,  Table  IV. 


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STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COJI MERCK. 


35 


the  Hour  shipped  eastward  from  Chicago,  while  in  181Hi  they  carried 
but  a  little  more  than  three-tiftlis.^ 

For  many  years  the  loug-distance  traffic  of  the  railroads  was  almost 
wholly  coiilined  to  the  trausi>ortatioii  of  live  animals,  i)ro visions,  and 
general  merchandise.  As  we  have  seen,  however,  at  a  comparatively 
early  day  the  railroads  secured  a  large  portion  of  the  tlour  business, 
lu  1872^  they  became  in  the  fullest  sense  competitors  of  the  lakes  for 
the  wheat  traffic.  Up  to  this  time,  although  they  had  in  various  years 
carried  considerable  quantities  of  wheat,  they  had  never  been  regarded 
by  the  lake  carriers  as  serious  rivals. 

In  the  spring  of  187U  the  railroads  entered  the  field  for  a  part  of  the 
grain  traffic  and  secured  a  liberal  portion  of  it  throughout  the  season 
of  navigation.  In  the  following  year  the  struggle  was  continued,  the 
railroads  securing  a  large  share  of  the  business.  Since  1873  the  con- 
test has  been  maintained.  In  some  years  the  railroads  have  made 
great  encroachments  into  the  traffic,  and  in  other  yeais  the  lake  carriers 
have  almost  monopolized  the  business.  Shii)ments  by  rail  exceeded 
those  by  lake  in  1881,  and  again  in  1885.  Since  the  latter  year  the 
lakes  have  more  than  held  their  own,  and  in  some  years  have  captured 
nearly  all  the  wheat.     The  yearly  movement  by  each  mode  of  transpor- 


1  It  will  be  seen  by  the  table  in  tlie  appendix  that  the  east-bound  movement  of  flour 
from  Chicago  reached  its  maximum  volume  in  1887.  Until  1888  most  of  the  tlour 
shij)pcd  from  the  Northwest  passed  through  Chicago,  but  in  1888,  by  the  completion 
of  the  Minneapolis.  St.  Paul  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Railway,  much  of  the  flour  business 
was  diverted  from  Chicago.  From  1882  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Minne- 
apolis and  St.  Paul  to  the  north  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  lower  lakes  to  the  seaboard 
had  been  much  discussed  by  the  millers  and  shippers  of  these  two  cities.  Such  a 
line,  it  was  hoped,  would  be  of  signal  advantage  to  the  interests  of  these  two  cities 
and  of  the  entire  Northwest,  for  by  this  road  not  only  the  distance  to  the  seaboard 
would  be  materially  shortened  in  comparison  with  the  circuitous  route  around  the 
head  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  the  uncertainty  of  a  speedy  uioveuient  through  the 
freight  yards  of  Chicago  Avould  also  be  obviated.  This  line,  connuonly  known  as 
the  "  Soo,"  in  connection  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  and  lake  vessels,  on  its  comple- 
tion at  once  became  a  strong  competitor  for  the  flour  and  grain  business  of  the  North- 
'west.  Ihiriug  its  first  year  it  forwarded  from  Minneapolis  931, .500  l)anels  of  flour, 
and  since  then  shipments  have  rapidly  increased,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  subjoined 
table. 

The  yearly  shipments  of  flour  from  Minneapolis  over  the  ''  Soo,"  as  given  in  the 
reports  of  the  Minneapolis  Chamber  of  Commerce,  have  been  as  follows : 


Year. 

Bai-rels. 

Year. 

Barrels. 

Year. 

Barrels. 

1888 

931,502 
1,367,792 
1, 156, 516 

1891. 

1892. 
1893. 

1,  200, 642 
1,  684,  005 
1,  720, 166 

1894  . 
1895. 
1896. 

1  458  146 

1890 

...!      2,419,914 
1 

Since  1887  shipments  of  flour  to  the  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  have  also 
greatly  increased,  and  the  combined  rail  and  water  routes  through  Wisconsin  and 
across  Lake  Michigan  have  secured  a  large  traffic  that  formerly  passed  through 
Chicago. 

2  The  following  table  covers  the  period  in  which  the  great  change  took  place : 

Eastward  shipments  of  wheat  from  Chicago. 


Year. 

By  lake. 

By  rail,     j 

Year. 

By  Lake. 

By  rail. 

1870 

Bushels. 
13, 429, 069 
r2,l£0,923 

8,  831,  870 

Bushels. 
2,621,699 

576,468  ! 
2,363,810  i 

1873 

Bushels. 

15,  528,  984 

16,  974, 149 

Bushels. 
8, 149,  209 
9  725  251 

1871  . 

1874 

1872 

STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    C0M3IERCE. 


35 


the  tiour  shipped  eastward  from  Ohicago,  while  iu  181)0  they  carried 
but  a  little  more  than  threetifths.^ 

For  many  years  the  loug-distauce  traffic  of  the  railroads  was  almost 
wholly  couliiied  to  the  transportation  of  live  animals,  provisions,  and 
general  merchandise.  As  we  have  seen,  however,  at  a  comparatively 
early  day  the  railroads  secured  a  large  portion  of  the  tlour  business. 
In  ISTii'^  they  became  in  the  fullest  sense  competitors  of  the  lakes  for 
the  wheat  trafdc.  Up  to  this  time,  although  they  had  iu  various  years 
carried  considerable  quantities  of  wheat,  they  had  never  been  regarded 
by  the  lake  carriers  as  serious  rivals. 

In  the  spring  of  1872  the  railroads  entered  the  iield  for  a  part  of  the 
grain  traffic  and  secured  a  liberal  i)ortion  of  it  throughout  the  season 
of  navigation.  In  the  following  year  the  struggle  was  continued,  the 
railroads  securing  a  large  share  of  the  business.  8ince  1873  the  con- 
test has  been  maintained.  In  some  years  the  railroads  have  made 
great  encroachments  into  the  traffic,  and  in  other  years  the  lake  carriers 
have  almost  monopolized  the  business.  Shipments  by  rail  exceeded 
those  by  lake  in  1881,  and  again  iu  1885.  Since  the  latter  year  the 
lakes  have  more  than  held  their  own,  and  in  some  years  have  captured 
nearly  all  the  wheat.     The  yearly  movement  by  each  mode  of  transpor- 

1  It  will  be  seen  by  the  table  in  the  appendix  that  the  east-bound  movement  of  flour 
from  Chicago  reached  its  maximum  volume  iu  1887.  Tntil  1888  most  of  the  flour 
shipped  from  the  Northwest  passed  through  Chicago,  but  in  1888.  by  the  completion 
of  the  Minneapolis.  St.  Paul  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie  R.ail  way,  niach  of  the  flour  business 
was  diverted  from  Chicago.  From  1882  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Minne- 
apolis and  St.  Paul  to  the  north  of  Lake  3.1ichigan  and  the  lower  lakes  to  the  seaboard 
had  been  much  discussed  by  the  millers  and  shippers  of  these  two  cities.  Such  a 
line,  it  was  hoped,  would  be'  of  signal  advantage  to  the  interests  of  these  two  cities 
and  of  the  entire  Northwest,  for  by  this  road  not  only  the  distance  to  the  seaboard 
would  be  materially  shortened  in  comparison  wirh  the  circuitous  route  around  the 
head  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  the  uncertainty  of  a  speedy  movement  through  the 
freight  yards  of  Chicago  would  also  be  obviated.  This  line,  commonly  known  as 
the  "  So'o,"  in  connection  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  and  lake  vessels,  on  its  comple- 
tion at  once  became  a  strong  competitor  for  the  flour  and  grain  business  of  the  North- 
west. During  its  tirst  year  it  forwarded  from  ilinneapolis  931,500  barrels  of  flour, 
and  since  then  shipments  have  rapidlj'  increased,  as  will  be  seeu  by  the  subjoined 
table. 

The  yearly  shipments  of  flour  from  Minneapolis  over  the  "  Soo,"  as  given  in  the 
reports  of  the  Minneapolis  Chamber  of  Commerce,  have  been  as  follows : 


Tear. 

i    Barrels. 

Tear. 

Barrels. 

Year. 

■    Barrels. 

1888 

931  502 

1891. 
1892. 
1893. 

1,  200, 642 
1, 684,  005 
1,  720, 166 

1894. 
1895. 
1896. 

. . . ,       1, 458, 146 

1889 

1,367  792 

...       2,111,455 

2,  419,  914 

Since  1887  shipments  of  flour  to  the  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  have  also 
greatly  increased,  and  the  combined  rail  and  water  routes  through  Wisconsin  and 
across  Lake  Michigan  have  secured  a  large  traffic  that  formerly  passed  through 
Chicago. 

-  The  following  table  covers  the  period  in  which  the  great  change  took  place : 


Eastward  shipments  of  wheat  from  Chicago. 

Tear 

By  lake. 

By  rail.    ,                    Tear. 

By  lake. 

By  rail. 

1870 

i 

Bushels. 

1  13,429,069 

'  12,]£0,923 

8831.870 

Stishels. 

2  621  699    '  1873                              .   ..   . 

Bushels. 
15,  528,  984 
16, 974, 149 

Bushels. 
8, 149,  209 

1871 

576,468      1874 

2,  363, 810 

9,  725,  251 

36 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


tation  since  ISGO  is  showu  by  the  figures  given  in  Apijeudix  II,  Table 
III,  part  1. 

In  the  years  previous  to  1873,  with  some  exceptions,  most  of  the  wheat 
taken  from  Chicago  by  the  railroads  was  secured  in  the  winter  months, 
when  lake  navigation  was  closed.  Since  1873  the  largest  rail  shipments 
have  often  been  made  after  the  navigation  season  had  fully  opened.' 

In  shipping  by  rail  the  marine  insurance  is  avoided,  the  grain  is  less 
liable  to  damage  in  transit,  is  moved  more  rapidly  and  marketed  more 
readily,  thus  giving  quicker  returns  and  thereljy  saving  interest  charges. 
But  these  advantages  combined  were  not  sufiticieut  to  overcome  the 
additional  rail  charge  which  was  frequently  exacted.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  the  marine  insurance  in  all  but  exceptional  cases  was  considerably 
less  than  1  per  cent  per  bushel,  and  the  difference  in  time  between  the 
all  rail  and  lake  and  rail  was  not  a  large  factor.  The  danger  from 
heating  in  si)ecial  cases  would  be  very  great,  but  in  most  cases  it  would 
quite  disapi)ear.  During  ^lay,  1875,  the  difference  in  rates  amounted 
to  10  cents,  and  witli  such  a  variation  it  is  surprising  that  the  railroads 
should  have  secured  any  wheat  at  all.  With  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the 
situation,  however,  this  will  be  readily  understood.  The  published 
rates  were  not  the  real  rates.  iSays  .Air.  E.  II.  Walker,  statistician  of 
the  New  York  Produce  Exchange:  "During  a  portion  of  the  year  187.3, 
the  transportation  by  rail  has  been  by  the  agreed  schedule  of  rates." - 

Tlie  implication  is  that  rates  were  generally  not  maintained,  and 
such  must  have  been  the  case.  From  January  to  October  the  rates 
given  in  the  Internal  Commerce  reports  remained  stationary  at  24 
cents  per  bushel,  then  fell  1  cent  for  October,  but  recovered  for  Novem- 
ber, and  rose  to  28  cents  for  December.^ 

The  statistician  of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange^  says  that  rates 
were  very  low  from  the  opening  of  the  year  until  October,  when  they 
advanced  very  sharply,  but  the  published  rates  do  not  show  this 
movement.  He  also  informs  us  tiiat  Hour  and  grain  were  carried  in 
large  quantities  from  St.  Louis  to  New  York  by  all  rail  at  2-i  cents  per 

1  Tlie  seriousness  of  the  competition  offered  by  the  railroads  at  times  during  the 
navigation  season  will  be  made  evident  by  the  following  table: 


Year. 

Shipments  during  the 
mouth  of  May. 

Nominal  dif- 
ference of 
rates  in  favor 
of  the  lake 
and  rail  route 
as  agaiust  the 
all-rail  route. 

By  lake. 

By  rail. 

Bushels. 
272,591 

Bushels. 

340,  584 

947, 902 
1, 210, 352 

735, 666 
1, 114, 137 

270, 110 
1,  369,  732 

Cents. 

2 

1873 

1,  823, 310 

(i 

;     2,367,796 

'     1,160.435 

10 

1876 

1,810,340 

1 

755,962 

3.6 

1878 

902,958 

3.1 

For  this  data  see  Internal  Commerce,  1876,  charts  2  and  3,  and  Internal  Commerce, 
1879,  Appendix,  pp.  246-247.  The  third  column  of  the  table  shows  a  surprising 
amount  of  freight  secured  by  the  railroads  in  view  of  the  great  difference  which 
frequently  obtained  iu  rates.     Perhaps  the  published  rates  were  not  adhered  to. 

-  New  York  Produce  Exchange,  1874-75,  p.  231. 

3  Internal  Commerce  of  United  States,  1876,  chart  No.  1. 

^ISTew  York  Produce  Exchange,  1874-75,  pp.  231-235.     , 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  37 

100  pounds,  wliicli  woukl  be  equivalent  to  15  cents  per  busljel.'  It 
is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  the  rate  Ironi  Chicago  to  Xew  York 
was  maintained  at  24  cents,  with  a  rate  of  15  cents  from  St.  Louis. 
That  raib'oad  rates  were  not  stable  during;  the  year  1875  is  also  testified 
to  by  Mr.  Charles  Randolph,  in  his  report  as  secretary  for  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade- 
in  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  the  corn  traffic  has  followed  the 
same  course  as  the  wheat  tratiic.  The  railroads  appear,  liowever,  to 
have  secured  a  considerable  share  of  this  business  at  an  even  earlier 
time  than  they  obtained  a  large  part  of  the  wheat  traffic.  During  the 
years  1808,  181)9,  and  1870  the  railroads  carried  considerable  quanti- 
ties of  corn,  and  then  for  five  years  transported  but  little  of  this  com- 
modity. In  the  movement  of  this  important  crop  the  year  1876  was 
the  decisive  turning  point.  The  crop  of  corn  grown  in  1875  was  large 
and  of  good  quality  and  the  export  demand  was  steady  and  strong,  so 
the  grain  was  moved  rapidly  forward  by  rail.  Throughout  1876  the 
rail  routes  competed  vigorously  with  the  lake  lines  and  obtained  a  large 
share  of  the  traffic.  During  the  months  of  May  and  June  6,208,706 
bushels  of  corn  were  shipped  from  Chicago  by  lake,  and  5,588,830  bush- 
els by  rail. '  The  amount  of  corn  carried  by  rail  during  the  year  1884 
was  almost  equal  to  that  transported  by  lake.  During  the  following 
year  the  shipments  by  rail  again  almost  equaled  those  by  lake,  the 
amounts  being,  respectively,  i:8,68i\861:  and  l".),381',591  bushels.  Since 
1885  the  lakes  have  regained  much  of  the  east  bound  traffic  lost  in  the 
earlier  years.  In  1890  they  carried  more  than  six  times  as  much  corn 
as  the  railroads. 

We  have  now  considered  the  partial  diversion  from  the  lakes  to  the 
railroads  of  the  flour,  wheat,  and  corn  shipped  from  Chicago  to  the  East. 
There  yet  remains  to  be  considered  the  movement  of  oats,  the  one  grain 
not  yet  taken  up  that  is  shipped  eastward  in  large  quantities.  Rye  and 
barley,  the  other  important  cereals,  are  not  transported  in  sufficient 
amounts  to  warrant  separate  treatment.  During  1896  the  aggregate 
shipments  by  lake  and  rail  from  Chicago  amounted  to  but  11.112,217 
bushels.^  Their  movement  may  be  inferred  in  a  general  way  from  the 
discussion  of  the  transportation  of  the  other  grains. 

At  a  very  earh'  date,  as  will  be  seen  by  an  examination  of  Table  III, 
part  II,  Appendix  II,  the  transportation  of  oats  by  rail  assumed  an 
important  position.  During  186_',  1863.  18()1,  and  1865  a  very  large  por- 
tion of  the  oats  carried  out  of  Chicago  was  taken  by  the  railroads.  This 
was  largely  due  to  the  exceptional  conditions  which  prevailed.  The 
principal  contracts  let  all  over  the  United  States  for  supplying  the 
armies  in  the  South  with  oats  were  filled  in  Chicago.  As  a  result,  the 
shipment  of  oats  from  Chicago  during  the  war  increased  with  surpris- 
ing rapidity:  for  the  year  1861  they  amounted  to  only  1,492,507  bush- 
els, while  for  the  last  nine  months  of  1864  and  the  first  three  months 
of  1865  they  reached  the  large  total  of  15,020,792  bushels. 

As  a  natural  consequence  the  railroads  leading  from  Chicago  were 
called  upon  to  transport  much  of  this  gi-ain,  and  as  there  were  no  rail- 
roads running  far  to  the  South  west  of  the  Mississi])pi,  and  but  a  sin- 
gle road  crossing  the  Ohio  River  and  running  to  the  South  through 
Kentucky,  it  bet-ame  necessary  to  send  commodities  to  the  southeastern 
points  by  the  roundabout  eastern  lines.     After  the  war  closed   the 

'  New  York  Produce  Exchange,  1874-75,  p.  232. 

-  Report  of  Chica.ijo  Board  of  Trade,  1875,  pp.  18,  19. 

^  Interual  Commerce,  1876,  chart  No.  3.     Xavigation  opeued  before  the  1st  of  May. 

^Report  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  1896,  p.  3. 


38  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCP:. 

movement  of  oats  by  rail  dimiiiislied  somewhat,  but  very  shortly 
increased  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  in  1873  the  shipments  by  rail  greatly 
exceeded  those  by  lake.  From  1873  to  1886  the  railroads  secured 
almost  the  whole  traffic,  and  in  some  years  left  but  an  insignificant 
amount  to  the  lake  carriers.  Since  the  latter  year  the  vessel  men  have 
reentered  the  tield  for  this  business  and  now  obtain  a,  large  portion  of 
it,  but  the  railroads  still  hold  the  larger  share. 

The  statistics  of  the  movement  of  oats  show  that  the  railroads  car- 
ried a  larger  j)ro])ortion  of  this  than  of  other  grains.  This  is  surprising, 
for  oats  is  a  commodity  of  comparatively  low  value  and  large  bulk,  and 
it  is  generally  held  that  this  class  of  goods  is  best  adapted  to  water 
transportation.  The  explanations  of  the  larger  lail  movement  of  oats 
are  not  far  to  seek;  one  of  them,  however,  runs  counter  to  long-estab- 
lished opinion.  Oats  take  ui)  moisture  more  readily  than  other  grains, 
and  as  a  very  small  amount  will  cause  oats  to  become  musty  and  thus 
unfit  for  horse  feed,  it  is  sometimes  found  advantageous  to  ship  this 
grain  by  rail.  But  there  is  another  and  far  more  potent  cause  for  the 
surprisingly  large  rail  movement  of  oats.  It  is  the  lake  rates;  these 
are  fixed  more  upon  the  basis  of  bulk  than  ot  weight,  and  as  oats  is  a 
bulky'  product,  the  freight  per  hundred  pounds  is  considerably  higher 
than  on  wheat  and  corn. 

Enough  oats  can  not  be  stowed  away  in  the  hold  of  a  ship  to  secure  a 
cargo  equal  in  weight  to  that  of  the  san)e  ship  loaded  with  wheat,  and 
therefore  it  is  necessary  to  fix  a  higher  rate  ])er  hundred  pounds  upon 
oats  than  upon  wheat.  The  grain  car,  on  the  other  hand,  is  so  large 
that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  loading  it  to  its  full  carrying  cai)acity  with 
the  bulky  produ(;t  outs,  and  as  a  conse([uence  the  I'ail  rates  on  oats  are 
no  more  per  hundred  pounds  than  those  on  wheat  and  corn.  The  larger 
lake  movement  of  oats  in  recent  years  is  perhaps  in  part  explained  by 
the  fact  that  since  the  agitation  for  deeper  channels  began  vessels 
have  been  constructed,  to  draw  more  water  when  fully  loaded  than  the 
existing  channels  would  permit.  This  being  tlie  situation,  nniny  vessels, 
so  to  sjieak,  would  have  extra  cargo  room  or  unoccupied  space  when 
transporting  heavy  conmiodities.  These  vessels,  to  a  certain  extent, 
would  suffer  no  loss  in  carrying  the  bulky  product  oats,  for  if  they  car- 
ried wheat  or  corn  a  part  of  the  hold  would  remain  empty. 

IH.— THE  TOTAL  EAST-BOUND  TRAKPTC. 

An  almost  entire  absence  of  statistics  of  the  grain  and  tiour  trans- 
ported over  the  railroads  that  tap  the  surplus  grain  producing  regions 
stretching  far  out  to  the  south,  west,  and  north  of  Chicago,  makes  it 
wholly  impossible  to  present  anything  approaching  a  satisfactory  ex- 
position of  the  general  movement  of  these  commodities.  Thus  far 
nearly  all  the  facts  we  iDossess  have  been  gathered  under  the  direction 
of  the  commercial  organizations  of  the  cities  in  which  the  grain  and  flour 
business  is  centered.- 


'The  unrabers  32,  56,  aud  60  represent,  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy,  the  weights 
of  a  like  bulk  of  oats,  corn,  and  wheat,  respectively.  The  measured  i)ushel  of  oats 
weighs  about  32  pounds,  that  of  .shelled  corn  56,  and  that  of  wheat  60;  the  measured 
bushel  of  oats,  however,  more  frequently  exceeds  32  pounds  than  does  that  of  wheat 
exceed  60  pounds.  Recently  theie  has  been  a  machine  invented  for  "cli])piug''  oats. 
By  "clipping"  the  weight  of  the  measured  bushel  is  increased  by  one-halt  to  one  and 
one-half  pounds. 

^The  statistics  published  by  these  organizations  are  generally  in  part  based  u])on 
the  custom-house  records.     For  the  sources  of  the  grain  statistics  see  Appendix  II. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  39 

While  these  data  are  complete  enou-ih  for  many  purposes,  they  are 
not  siitiit'ieutly  comprehensive  to  disclose  the  characteristics  of  the 
general  niovenient  of  the  cereals  from  the  interior  producing-  regions  to 
the  consuming  districts  of  the  East  and  South,  and  to  foreign  countries. 
Thus  far,  our  General  Government  has  devoted  but  little  attention  to 
inland  commerce;  the  reports  on  our  internal  commerce  which  have 
appeared  u[>  to  this  time  have  contained  but  little  statistical  matter 
which  had  not  previously  appeared  in  reports  of  transportation  com- 
panies, boards  of  trade,  produce  exchanges,  and  chambers  of  commerce 
of  our  great  trading  centers. 

1  shall  now  attempt  to  show,  but  in  a  somewhat  roundabout  way, 
what  share  of  the  Hour  and  grain  traffic  from  the  West  to  the  East  has 
fallen  to  the  lakes,  and  what  portion  has  been  secured  by  the  railroads. 
The  tigures  which  will  be  given  should  in  no  case  be  wrested  from  their 
context.  Conditions  which  obtained  at  the  beginning  of  the  period 
under  consideration  no  longer  exist,  and  thus  the  statistics  standing  by 
themselves  would  be  very  misleading. 

The  transportation  of  iiour  and  the  chief  three  cereals — corn,  wheat, 
and  oats — will  be  investigated.  In  the  case  of  eai'h  one  of  these  com- 
modities, the  receipts  at  the  principal  eight  Atlantic  ports  will  be  com- 
pared with  the  receipts  by  water  at  the  chief  lower  lake  ports.  If  the 
receipts  at  the  Atlantic  ports  increased  at  a  more  rapid  ratio  than  those 
of  the  lake  x)orts  it  may  be  legitimately  inferred,  if  all  circumstances 
except  those  of  transportation  remain  unchanged,  that  the  railroads 
were  proving  the  stronger  competitor,  and  vice  versa.  The  conditions, 
however,  as  will  be  shown  as  each  commodity  is  considered,  have  not 
remained  fixed. 

Attention  is  first  invited  to  the  movement  of  wheat ;  the  transportation 
of  tiour  will  next  be  taken  up.  The  order  of  consideration  has  been 
imrposely  changed,  because  the  movement  of  flour  is  partially  explained 
by  the  circumstances  which  have  alfected  the  alterations  in  the  ship- 
ment of  wheat.  A  very  large  portion  of  the  grain  shipped  by  lake  is 
received  at  Buffalo  and  Erie,  and  therefore  the  receipts  of  these  two 
ports  may  be  regarded  as  fairly  representing  the  lake  'movement.^ 
Moreover,  the  relation  between  the  receipts  of  grain  at  these  ports  and 
the  other  lower  lake  ports  has  not  materially  changed ;  so,  for  comparative 
purposes,  the  amounts  received  at  Bufialo  and  Erie  maybe  assumed  as 
reflecting  the  whole  movement  by  lake.  In  the  comparisons  which  will 
be  instituted,  the  total  receipts  at  the  lower  lake  ports  by  lake  have 
not  been  used,  for  the  reason  that  such  statistics  can  not  be  had  except 
for  the  census  year  1889. 

The  impossibility  of  securing  statistics  of  the  entire  movement  to 
and  through  the  Atlantic  States  and  the  eastern  portion  of  Canada  has 
forced  me  to  accept  the  receipts  -  at  the  chief  centers  of  the  grain  and 
flour  business  on  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  as  indicative  of  the  whole  move- 
ment into  the  regions  just  mentioned.  It  thus  appears  that  the  value 
of  the  comparison  turns  (1)  upon  the  accuracy  with  which  the  lake 
movement  is  reflected  by  the  receipts  at  Buffalo  and  Erie,  and  (2)  upon 
the  permanence  of  the  proportion  existing  between  the  total  movement 

^Insufficient  data  make  it  diffi<nlt  to  iiive  an  estimate  of  the  relation  between  the 
receipts  of  linttalo  and  Erie  and  those  of  .ill  the  lower  lake  ports,  hut  it  is  prohably 
safe  to  say  that  the  receipts  of  Bntfalo  and  Erie  ar-e  80  per  cent  of  the  total. 

-  Instead  of  the  receipts  at  Newport  Xews  and  Norfolk,  I  have  i;sed  the  exports, 
for  the  latter  alone  represent  the  tra  ffi  c  which  may  he  regarded  as  competitive  between 
the  lakes  and  the  railroads.  The  other  ports  selected  are  Montreal,  Portland,  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore. 


40  STATISTICS    OF    LAKH    (OMMEliCE. 

to  the  seaboard  and  that  to  the  selected  ports.  As  lias  already  been 
stated,  the  receipts  at  Biittalo  and  Erie  reflect,  with  considerable  exact- 
ness, the  total  movement  by  vessel  to  the  lower  lake  ports.  As  to  whether 
the  proj)ortion  between  the  total  movement  to  tlie  seaboard  and  that 
to  the  selected  i)orts  has  remained  the  same,  we  can  not  speak  with  the 
same  assurance,  for  we  have  but  few  statistics  to  assist  us  in  forming- 
opinions.  As  the  exports  of  wheat  seem  to  have  maintained  a  fairlj'- 
cou.^^tant  relation  to  the  total  production  of  wheat  in  the  United  States, 
yearly  fluctuations  being  left  out  of  account,  it  may  be  assumed  that 
the  receipts  at  the  seaboard  ports  of  wheat  for  export  have  not  varied 
greatly.  The  (piestion  then  remains  as  to  whether  or  not  the  total 
receipts  at  the  seaboard  ports,  less  the  (juantities  exported,  have 
increased  at  as  rapid  a  rate  as  the  receipts  at  all  the  other  points  com- 
bined. This  question  must  probablybe  answered  in  the  negative,  and 
for  two  reasons:  In  the  earlier  years  of  the  period  under  considera- 
tion the  smaller  interior  cities  seldom  enjoyed  as  favorable  freight  rates 
as  the  larger  cities,  and  so  the  former  often  obtained  their  supplies  fiom 
the  latter;  aud  in  the  earlier  years,  when  the  Eastern  States  i)roduced  a 
large  i)ortion  of  the  wheat  consumed,  the  snialler  cities  of  the  localities 
where  the  grain  was  raised  would  be  sure  to  obtain  the  surplus,  leav- 
ing the  larger  cities  to  look  to  the  more  remote  regions  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  their  necessities. 

By  examining  Table  V,  Part  1,  in  Ai)pendix  II,  it  will  be  seen  that  from 
the  beginning  of  the  period  under  examination  (1808)  down  to  the  year 
1876,  the  combined  receipts  of  wheat  at  Buffalo  and  I'h'ie  by  lake  were, 
although  varying  from  year  to  year,  somewhat  more  than  one-half  as 
large  as  those  of  the  selected  Atlantic  ports.  In  ]87(»  this  relation  was 
slightly  changed,  and  for  the  first  time  tlie  receipts  of  the  Atlantic 
ports  were  more  than  double  those  of  the  two  lake  ports;  there  was, 
however,  no  great  change,  as  the  receipts  at  the  former  ports  M-ere 
4J,881,00()  bushels,  and  at  the  latter  L»l,147,01>().  During  1877  the  lake 
ports  regained  their  former  position,  the  receipts  being  25,791,491 
bushels,  while  the  receipts  at  the  Atlantic  ])orts  were  4(),8-!8,000  bushels. 
Thus  far  the  relation  existing  between  the  receipts  at  the  lower  lake 
ports  and  at  tidewater  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  have  remained  fairly  con- 
stant, although  the  aggregate  receipts  have  increased  api)reciably.  A 
great  change  took  place  during  the  next  five  j'ears.  The  ratio  between 
the  receipts  at  the  lower  lake  ports  and  the  Atlantic  ports  was  very 
much  altered ;  instead  of  being  about  as  1  to  2,  the  ratio  was  now  about 
as  1  to  3i;  for  the  live-year  period  the  aggregate  stood  at  172.0  million 
and  548.6  million  bushels,  respectivel3^  For  the  year  1881  the  receipts 
at  the  Atlantic  ports  were  more  than  four  times  as  large  as  the  re- 
ceipts at  Buffalo  and  Erie.  In  1883  there  was  a  partial  return  to  the 
relations  which  formerly  obtained,  and  in  18S4  there  was  a  still  further 
change,  so  that  for  this  year  the  receipts  at  the  Atlantic  ports  lacked 
just  a  trifle  of  being  double  those  of  the  lake  ports.  For  the  three 
succeeding  years  there  was  no  great  change.  But  in  1888  and  in  the 
following  year  the  situation  changed  so  much  that  for  the  year  1895 
the  receipts  at  Buffalo  and  Erie  almost  equaled  those  of  the  selected 
Atlantic  ports,  the  receipts  of  the  former  being  49,933,100,  and  of  the 
latter  49,205,()()0  bushels.  This  proportion  during  1890  was  changed 
somewhat  in  favor  of  the  Atlantic  ports. 

Thus  far  nothing  but  the  superficial  facts  have  been  presented.  These 
seem  to  show  that  the  railroads  and  the  lakes  maintained  a  pretty  even 
struggle  during  the  decade  beginning  with  1868,  and  that  for  Ave  years 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMEECE 


41 


thereafter  tlie  railroads  gained  a  decisive  advantage  aud  tlieu  for  a  lew 
years  waged  a  stubborn  contest,  but  only  to  be  utterly  driven  from  the 
held  in  the  years  from  188S  to  189<3.  The  facts  thus  far  presented,  how- 
ever, are  wholly  inadequate  for  an  understanding  of  the  events  Avhich 
have  taken  place.  Conditions  have  radically  changed.  The  striking 
fact  in  the  history  of  wheat  growing  in  the  United  States  during  the 
past  thirty  years  has  been  the  westward  and  northward  movement  of 
the  surplus  wheat-producing  areas.' 

At  the  beginning  of  the  jieriod  under  consideration,  ]S"ew  York  and 
rcnnsvlvania  held  iiromiuent  places  among  the  wheat-producing 
States^  and  the  great  wheat  raising  States  were  for  the  most  part  on 
the  southern  shores  of  the  chain  of  Great  Lakes.  By  the  middle  of  the 
eighties  all  this  was  changed  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  surplus 
wheat  grown  in  the  United  States  was  harvested  in  tiie  far  Northwest, 
the  Dakotas  and  Minnesota  being  the  princii)al  wheat  growing  States. 
The  last  column  of  the  foregoing  table  discloses  the  present  importance 
of  these  States,  two  of  which  produced  no  sur])lus  wheat  until  the 
middle  of  the  period  under  examination.  The  westward  and  notth- 
ward  movement  of  the  wheat  raising  areas  has  had  a  very  decisive 
influence  in  the  selection  of  the  agencies  emjiloyed  in  the  movement 
eastward  of  the  grain  produced.  When  the  grain  to  be  shipped  was 
raised  in  Ohio  and  Indiana  and  in  the  southern  portions  of  Michigan 
and  Illinois  it  was  almost  sure  to  go  by  rail,  for  in  iiearh'  all  cases  shii)- 
ment  by  water  would  involve  a  short  rail  haul  to  the  lakes,  with  its 
high  local  rates,  and  in  some  cases,  after  the  grain  reached  the  lake,  it 
would  be  only  slightly  advanced  in  its  eastward  journey  by  lake  ship- 
ment. Charges  of  transshipment  in  the  case  of  the  short  lake  ship- 
ment would  l)e  of  relatively  greater  importance  than  in  the  case  of  the 
larger  lake  shipment.  In  the  early  days  the  grain  grown  in  the  West 
was  produced  in  regions  or  carried  to  places  where  the  railnsads  were 
in  a  favorable  position  to  compete  for  it.  Most  Western  wheat  found 
its  way  to  Chicago  or  Milwaukee. 


1  lu  speaking  of  the  great  wheat-produciug  areas,  I  refer  only  to  the  wlieat-growiug 
regions  east  of  the  Kocky  Mountains.  The  shifting  of  areas  is  made  clear  by  the 
following  table: 

Production  of  wheat. 


[,000  omitted. 


1869.  rt                                      1879.  b 

1889.  c 

1895.  d 

State  or           -rr.„,,.              State  or         j  Y\e^,\ 
Territory.         ^^^^'^-          Territory.         ^'®^''- 

State  or 
Territory. 

Yield. 

State  or 
Territory. 

Yield. 

Bmh.                                    Bush. 

Illinois 30,128      Illinois 51.111 

Iowa 29.436      Indiana 47,285 

Ohio 27,982      Ohio 46.015 

Indiana 27,747      Michigan 35,533 

Wisconsin 25,616      Minnesota 34.601 

Pennsylvania...    19,673      Iowa 31.154 

Minnesota 18,866      Missouri 24,967 

Michigan 16,265       Wisconsin 24,8X5 

Missouri 14,315      Pennsylvania..    19,462 

KewYork 12.178      Kansas 17,-324 

Kentuckv 5.  729  i    Nebraska 1,3,847 

Kansas 2.390,    :NewYork 11,588 

Nebraska 2. 125  j    Kentucky 11,356 

I)ako*a                          171      Dakota                     2  830 

Minnesota 

Dakotas 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Ohio 

Kansas 

Missouri 

Michigan 

Pennsylvania.. 

M'isconsin 

Kentucky  

Nebraska 

New  York 

Bush. 
52,  300 
40,945 
37.  389 
37,319 
35,  559 
30,  399 
30,114 
24, 771 
21,  505 
11,699 
10,  707 
10,571 
8.  305 
8;  250 

Dakotas 

Minnesota .... 

Ohio 

Kansas 

Pennsylvania - 

Indiana 

Illinois 

Missouri 

Michigan 

Kebraska 

Iowa 

Kentucky  .... 

Wisconsin 

KewYork 

Bush. 
90.  319 
65, 584 
32, 216 
22, 919 
20.  456 
•:o,  294 
19.  061 
18.  499 
15.238 
14, 787 
13,  655 
9,501 
8.616 
7,301 

aKinth  Census:  Industry  and  Wealth,  p.  83. 

6  Tenth  Census ;  Vol.  III!  p.  177. 

cKeport  on  the  Statistics  of  Agriculture  in  the  United  States  at  the  Eleventh  Census,  p.  16. 

rf Report  of  the  Cliicago  Board  of  Trade,  1895.  p.  182. 


42  STATISTICS    OF    LAKF.    COMMERCE 

From  these  points  the  raih-oa<ls  possess  a  decided  advantage  over 
the  hike  carriers  in  the  point  of  distance,  for  the  hitter  ninst  round  the 
lower  peninsnhi  of  Michigan,  while  the  former  run  directly  across 
countr}^  to  their  destination.  From  Chicago  to  Buffalo  b3^  lake  is  880 
miles/  while  the  distance  from  Chicago  to  Xew  York  City  by  the 
shortest  rail  route  is  but  012  niiles.^ 

From  Buffalo  to  Xew  York  City  by  the  shortest  rail  route  is  410  miles. ' 
It  thus  a])pears  that  every  mile  covered  in  the  passage  to  Buffalo  by 
lake  results  in  an  effective  eastward  movement  of  O.odi  mile.  By  the 
westward  and  northward  movement  of  the  surplus  wheat-producing 
region  the  situation  has  been  wholly  changed.  The  districts  which 
formerly  produced  the  surplus  that  was  almost  certain  to  go  by  rail  now 
grow  but  little  if  any  more  wheat  than  will  satisfy  their  own  necessities, 
but  the  location  of  the  new  wh-  at  growing  areas  is  the  important  factor. 
These  districts  are  located  directly  west  of  Lake  Superior.  Tliis  fact 
is  clearly  shown  by  the  crop  maps  of  the  Eleventh  Census.'  The  pro- 
duction of  wheat  in  the  far  Xorth  has  been  greatly  increased  since  these 
maps  were  published,  as  will  be  seen  by  an  examination  of  the  table  on 
page  41.  As  a  result  of  this  northward  and  westward  movement  of 
the  wheat  llelds,  the  railroads  have  lost  the  advantage  in  point  of  dis- 
tance which  tlsey  formerly  possessed.  By  the  sliifting  of  the  wheat- 
growing  districts  the  lake  carriers  have  been  placed  u})on  terms  of 
substantial  equality  with  railroads.  In  shipping  by  lake  from  (jhicago 
it  was  found  that  every  mile  traversed  in  the  passage  to  Buffalo  resulted 
in  effective  eastward  movement  of  but  0.504  nrile.  Sliipment  by  water 
from  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  is  not  accompanied  by  this  wasteful 
expenditure  of  energy.  Every  mile  t)ie  grain  is  moved  resnlts  in  its 
being  practically  1  mile  nearer  one  of  our  great  exporting  poi'ts.' 

The  increased  importance  of  the  shipments  of  wheat  from  the  far 
Xorthwest,  in  the  receipts  at  Buffalo  and  Erie,  is  made  clear  by  the 

'Eleveutli  Census:  Transportation  Business.  Part  II,  p.  290. 

-Chicago  to  New  Yorlv  City  over  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  By  rail  the  distances 
from  Chicago  to  the  dilfereat  seaboard  citii's  are  as  follows: 

Miles.  >MiU's. 

To  Boston 1.  00(1     To  Newport  News 896 

To  Baltimore 802     To  Norfolk !'8.1 

To  Philadelphia 822 

(Railroad  Gazette,  Vol.  XXIX,  No.  13,  p.  21.5.) 

'From  Buffalo  and  Erie  the  distance  to  the  s(^aboard  ports  by  the  shortest  routes 
is  as  follows : 

Miles.  •  Mile.H. 

Buffalo  to  New  York 410  Erie  to  New  York 512 

Buffalo  to  Boston 481  Erie  to  Boston 569 

Buffalo  to  Philadelphia 418  Erie  to  Philadelphia 506 

Buffalo  to  Baltimore 402  Erie  to  Baltimore 490 

(Ibid.,  p.  21().) 

*  Eleventh  Census:  St.itistics  of  Agriculture;  Crop  Map  No.  13. 

'"  In  coniy)aiison  with  certain  rail  routes,  however,  the  lake  route  from  the  head  of 
Lake  Superior  does  not  appear  in  this  favorable  light.  Either  the  Duluth,  South 
Shoie  and  Atlantic,  or  the  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  in  cimnec- 
tion  with  the  Canadian  Pacific,  affords  a  much  .shorter  line  to  an  ocean  port  (Mon- 
treal) than  do  the  lakes  and  the  lailroads  to  any  of  our  Atlantic  ports.  These  all-rail 
lines  may  in  the  future  effectively  compete  with  the  lake  carriers  in  the  transporta- 
tion of  grain  to  certain  regions.  It  does  not  follow  because  these  roads  have  not 
done  so  in  the  past  that  they  will  not  do  so  in  the  future.  The  discussion  of  this 
point,  however,  would  lead  ns  too  far  afield,  and  therefore  it  will  not  now  be 
taken  np. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COM.>rERGE. 


43 


following  table,  coveriiii;-  the  moveiueiit  of  wheat  tliroiij^h  the  St.  M ary.s 
Falls  Canal: 

Moreinciil  of  wlwal. 
[(00  oinitteil.] 


Movement 
throuprli 
St.  Marys 

Falls  Canal. 


Buahels. 

18S0 2.  1(16 

1882 ;!.729 

1884 11.986 

1886 l.'^DOl 

1888 !8.r)9(> 

1890 l'^.  217 


Keceiptsat 

Buffalo 
and  Erie.  , 


FallSal.    «->Erie. 


usiiels.  Bushels. 

44,477       1891 a8,817 

27.080      1892 .' |  40,995 

34,  692     '1893 43,482 

42, 57.T       1894 :«.  869 

27,805       1895 46,218 

2.j.0:i4   1896 63,2,56 


83,749 
86.  085 
71,, 578 
52,  450 
49,  033- 
60,  054 


By  tlie  abov^e  table  it  appears  that  the  movement  of  \«l]eat  through 
the  St,  Marys  Falls  Canal  now  just  about  e(iua]s  the  combined  recei])ts 
of  the  two  prominent  lower  lake  ports — Buffalo  and  P>ie.  Were  the 
receipts  of  the  lower  lake  ports  no  larger  than  the  shipuients  from 
the  lake  ports  otlier  than  those  of  Lake  Sni)erior  the  receipts  of  the 
selected  Atlantic  ports  would  have  much  more  than  held  their  own  with 
the  receijits  of  Buffalo  and  Erie.  A  comparison  upon  this  basis  would 
be  worthless,  however,  because  the  whole  situation  has  changed.  That 
the  railroads  are  less  able  to  com])ete  with  the  lake  route  than  formerly 
can  not  be  inferred  from  a  comparison  of  the  receipts  of  the  lower  lake 
ports  and  of  the  Atlantic  ports,  for  the  railroads  never  were  competitors 
for  the  traftic  of  the  far  off  region  which  now  produces  the  bulk  of  our 
surj)lus  wheat.  The  existing  status  of  the  struggle  between  the  rail- 
road and  the  water  lines  will  not  be  dis<uissed  further  at  this  point. 

The  statistics  for  the  transportation  of  Hour  show  that  the  movement 
of  this  commodity  very  much  resembles  that  of  wheat.  For  the  first 
three  years  (18G8-1870)  of  the  period  under  consideration  the  receipts 
at  Buffalo  and  Erie  were  about  one-fifth  of  those  at  the  selected  Atlantic 
ports.  Then  for  several  years,  but  not  without  occasional  setbacks,  the 
receipts  at  the  seaboard  ports  gained  on  the  receipts  of  the  lower  lake 
ports,  until  in  1877  the  receipts  of  the  former  ports  were  more  than  ten 
times  as  large  as  those  of  the  latter.  After  1 877  there  was  a  reverse  move- 
ment,  and  in  1883  this  had  gone  so  far  that  the  relations  which  obtained 
at  the  outset  were  about  restored.  During  the  next  two  years  tliere 
was  practically  no  change,  but  in  1880  the  lake  ports  made  a  decided 
gain  upon  the  seaboard  ports,  and  in  1889  increased  this  gain  so  much 
that  the  receipts  of  the  lake  ports  were  more  than  one-half  as  large  as 
those  of  the  seaboard  ports.  Since  1889  there  has  been  no  change  of 
note.  The  vearlv  alterations  which  took  place  are  shown  in  Appendix 
II,  Table  V,  Part  I. 

A  strong  resemblance  in  the  movement  of  Hour  and  of  wheat  will  be 
noticed  on  comparing  the  figures  (in  the  Appendix)  covering  the  move- 
ment of  hour  with  those  presenting  the  movement  of  wheat.  The  gen- 
eral tendencies  have  been  in  tiie  same  direction,  but  the  movement  has 
not  proceeded  so  far  in  the  one  case  as  in, the  other.  The  shifting  of 
the  surplus  wheat-producing  districts  has  been  accompanied  by  a  cor- 
respondinu  movement  of  the  great  milling  centers.  From  1878  Minne- 
apolis has,  with  but  few  interruptions,  steadily  increased  her  output  of 
flour,  reaching  the  enormous  total  of  12,874,890  barrels  in  189(5.     At  the 


44 


TATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


head  of  Lake  Superior,  in  the  cities  of  Duliith  and  West  Superior,  tliere 
has  recently  spiung-  uj)  another  important  milling  center.' 

As  the  milling-  industry  has  in  a  large  measure  followed  the  wheat- 
growing  region  westward  and  northward,  it  follows  that  the  lakes  are 
now  in  a  more  favorable  position  for  competing  for  tlie  flour  traffic  than 
formerly.  That  a  large  portion  of  the  increased  receii)ts  of  BuHalo  and 
Erie  originate  in  the  Northwest  is  evidenced  by  the  statistics  of  the  flour 
moved  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal.'^ 

The  shipments  from  ^Minneapolis  by  the  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and 
Sault  Ste.  Marie  Kailroad  have  the  same  effect,  since  the  bulk  of  the 
flour  carried  by  this  road  is  transshipped  to  lake  vessels  at  Gladstone,  a 
port  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake. Michigan. 

It  appears,  then,  that  the  shipments  of  tiour  through  the  St.  Marys 
Falls  Canal,  pins  the  shipments  of  flour  from  Min.neapohs  by  the  Min- 
neapolis, St.  Paul  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Ifailroad,  are  now  about  as  large 
as  the  total  receipts  of  Ihiffalo  and  Erie.  For  18!>r)  the  former  were 
actually  largetthan  the  latter.'    This  brings  us  to  the  maiu  considera- 


'Tbe  subjoined  taltle  will  show  the  development  of  tliese  two  milling  districts. 

Annual  production  (barreh). 

fOOO  omitted.] 


|MiB„eapo. 

Duluth.6  1                   Tear.                    ^'»];!r"' 1   ^"^"t'"' 

1878                                                         941 

189U                                                    6  089                    4'!! 

1880 2,052 

1882  ....                                          3  176 

189"'                                                    9  751)                 1  004 

1884 5.S18 

1886 .                      6  168 

189:{ 9.378                    870 

1894                                                       9  401                     'tl8 

1888  .                                                   7  0.i7 

si" 

1895                                                  10  58''              (•■'  078 

«Eeport8  of  the  Trade  and  Commerce  of  Minneapolis. 
b  Kepnrts  of  the  Trade  and  Commerce  of  Diiliith. 
cThc  (lutput  of  the  Diiliith  and  We.st  Superior  mills. 
(?  Flour  manufactured  at  the  '■  Head  of  the  Lakes."     (Re 
compiled  b.v  the  Duluth  Cliamber  of  Commerce.) 


-lew  of  the  Trade  and  (.'oiiimerce  of  Duluth, 


-Movement  of  , Hour  (harreh). 
[000  omitted.] 


Tear. 

Through 
the  canal,  a 

From  Min-. 
neapolis,  bv 

S^l^                       rear.                    1  tEnfl'a 
and  Sault                                                  jthecanal.a 
Ste.  Marie                                                 1 
R.  R.b                                                    [ 

From  Min- 
neapolis, by 
Minneapo- 
lis. St.  Paul 
and  Sault 
Ste.  Marie 
R.R.6 

1880 

524 

1891                                                    3  780 

1  ''01 

1882 

1884 

1.248 
1,759 
2,191 
3,239 

1894 8.966 

931      1895 8,90-2 

1,368      1896 8,883 

),458 
2,111 

1888 

1890 

dofument  prepared  by  Mr.  E.  S. 


«  Statement  of  the  commerce  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal, 
Wheeler,  the  Government  olliccr  in  charge  of  the  canal. 
6  Reports  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Minneapolis. 

■'This  fact  does  not,  however,  throw  discredit  npou  the  method  of  approachiug 
the  problem  of  the  general  east\\ard  movement  of  the  several  commodities  nnder 
investi<;ation,  for  the  total  shipments  of  flour  from  Minneapolis  by  the  "Soo"  Rail- 
road are  not  transshipped  to  lake  vessels.  And  the  receipts  at  Buffalo  and  Erie  do 
not  reju-esent  the  total  receipts  of  the  lower  lake  ports  as  fully  as  the  shipments 
through  the  "Soo"  Canal,  plus  the  shipments  over  the  "Soo"  Railroad,  represent  the 
shipments  from  the  upper  lake  ports.  It  should  also  be  remembered  that  at  the  out- 
set I  disclaimed  all  intentions  of  making  an  exact  mathematical  demonstration. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  45 

tioi).  We  tin<l  in  the  case  of  flour,  as  in  the  case  of  wiieat,  that  the  shift- 
ing- of  the  i)hxces  of  productiou  has  i)ut  the  water  carriers  in  a  more 
favorabk^  position  to  nieet  the  competition  of  the  raihoads.  'J  lie  hike 
carriers  are  no  longer  handicapped  by  an  excessively  circuitous  route.' 

In  striking  contrast  with  the  movement  of  wheat  and  its  manufac- 
tured product,  flour,  is  the  eastward  movement  of  corn.  It  appears  from 
Appendix  II,  Table  V,  Part  li,  showing  the  receipts  of  the  selected 
lake  and  seaboard  ])orts,  that  the  receipts  of  these  two  groups  of  ports, 
although  they  have  varied  greatly  during  the  period  under  considera- 
tion, have  moved  together  and  at  about  the  same  rate.  From  1S()8  to 
1870  the  lake  receipts  were  about  one-half  as  large  as  those  of  the  sea- 
board, then  for  half  a  dozen  years  the  seaboard  receipts  gained  some- 
what upon  the  receipts  of  the  lake  ports.  The  year  1882  was,  in  some 
respects,  anomalous.  The  receipts  of  tlie  lake  ports  almost  equaled  those 
of  the  seaboard  ports,  the  former  being-  a  little  more  than  24,000,000 
bushels  and  the  latter  somewhat  more  than  28,000,000.''* 

For  the  next  four  years  there  were  wide  variations,  and  from  then 
(1887)  the  lake  receipts,  with  the  exception  of  1892,  were  somewhat 
more  than  one  half  as  large  as  those  of  the  seaboard  receipts.  During- 
1896  the  seaboard  receipts  were  more  than  double  those  of  the  lake 
ports,  the  former  being  113.5  million  and  the  latter  but  54.7  million 
bushels. 

The  eastward  movement  of  corn  thus  stands  out  in  strong  contrast 
with  that  of  wheat  and  flour.  In  our  investigation  of  these  breadstuffs 
we  found  that  after  the  opening  of  the  eighties  the  transportation  of 
these  commodities  by  water  gained  very  lapidly  upon  the  movement 
by  land,  and  that  at  the  close  of  the  period  the  quantities  received  at 
Bitflalo  and  Erie  by  water  were  practically  equal  to  the  total  quanti- 
ties received  at  the  leading  seaboard  cities.  The  explanation  of  this 
divergence  of  tendencies  is  not  far  to  seek.  It  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
the  shifting  of  the  surplus  corn  producing  region  has  been  westward, 
and  not  northward  as  well  as  westward ;  it  has  been  along  the  parallels. 
Our  surplus  wheat,  as  was  seen,  is  now  largely  grown  in  the  far  iNorth- 
west — in  Minnesota  and  in  the  Dakotas.  The  great  wheat  fields  are 
now  back  of  Lake  Superior,  and  thns  in  a  favorable  position  for  the 
movement  by  lake  of  the  crops  gathered  from  them.  These  States 
have  thus  far  produced  but  little  surplus  corn,  and  will  probably  never 
produce  much,  as  they  lie  almost  wholly  without  the  corn  belt.  In  the 
southern  portions  of  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota  corn  can  be  grown 
successfully,  but  these  areas  are  limited  in  extent.  The  great  surplus 
corn  region  now  lies  to  the  west  and  southwest  of  the  southern  portion 
of  Lake  Michigan,^  falling-  within  the  States  of  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri, 
Kansas,  and  Nebraska,  and,  as  a  consequence,  if  corn  is  to  go  by  water 
to  the  East  it  must  be  carried  from  the  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Michigan  on  the  circuitous  Journey  around  the  lower  peninsula  of  Michi- 
gan. The  advantages  of  the  rail  lines  running  to  the  Atlantic  ports 
in  point  of  distance  will  not  be  further  discussed,  as  this  matter  has 
already  been  dwelt  upon. 

As  the  surplus  corn  producing-  regions  now  lie  to  the  southwest  of 
the  head  of  Lake  Michigan  rather  than  directly  to  the  west  of  it,  there 

1  For  qualifications,  see  note  on  page  42. 

^  The  receipts  of  this  year  were  far  below  the  normal,  and  in  this  fact  is  to  be  found 
the  explanation  of  the  variation  of  the  relation.  Ju.st  why  a  small  movement  should 
affect  the  seaboard  receipts  more  than  the  lake  receipts  will  be  shown  later. 

'This  is  very  clearly  shown  by  Crop  Map  No.  9,  Eleventh  Census:  Statistics  of 
Agriculture. 


4G  STATIST1C8    OF    LAKE    ('OMMERCE. 

lias  been  a  very  decided  teiideucy  to  sliip  corn  for  export  by  tlie  all-rail 
lines  to  the  south  Atlantic  ports,  notably  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New- 
port News,  and  Norfolk.  Shipments  by  the  all-rail  routes  to  these  ports 
will  probably  increase.  Th»^  distances  from  the  corn  growing-  districts 
to  tlie  south  Atlantic  ports  are  less  than  to  the  north  Atlantic  ports. 
There  is  another  reason,  and  a  much  weightier  one,  for  the  movement  to 
the  southern  ports  from  Chicago.  Philadelphia  has  a  differential  rate 
in  its  favor  of  -5  cents,  and  the  other  i»orts  one  of  3  cents  i)er  100  i)ouuds 
as  compared  with  New  York.  Wheu  these  diifereutials  were  agreed 
upon,  April  5,  1877,  they  were  given  to  Southern  ports  to  offset  the 
advantage  New  York  ])ossessed  in  the  matter  of  ocean  rates.' 

Since  1877,  however,  tlie  situation  has  radically  changed.  New  York 
has,  in  good  part,  lost  the  advantage  she  then  possessed  in  the  item  of 
ocean  rates,  and  thus  the  reason  for  the  existence  of  these  diflerentials 
has  disappeared.  The  differentials,  however,  not  only  remain,  but  have 
become  much  more  effective  than  when  adopted.  Nominally  the  differ- 
entials remain  as  they  were  fixed  in  1877,  but  really  they  are  much 
higher  than  they  were  then.  This  is  true  because  the  rates  have  fallen 
very  deciilcdly,  while  the  differentials  have  remained  absolutely  sta- 
tionary. Had  the  ditterentials  been  fixed  upon  a  sliding  scale,  falling 
as  the  rates  fell,  the  Southern  ports  would  not  have  the  advantage 
which  they  now  possess.  What  might  have  been  easily  arranged  in 
1877  can  now  be  brought  about  only  by  a  serious  struggle,  and  one  which 
the  Northern  trunk  lines  are  not  likely  to  make.  The  grain  traffic  is  an 
important  item  to  the  Southern  roads,  and  they  will  wage  a  desperate 
struggle  to  retain  it.  This  is  fully  recognized  by  the  more  })ros|)erous 
Northern  roads,  which  have  a  more  profitable  miscellaneous  business. 
We  have  here  a  case  of  a  wide  difference  in  marginal  utility  of  a  certain 
traffic  to  two  different  sets  of  roads.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  and  the  Norfolk  and  \Vestern — roads  hungry  for 
traffic — set  a  much  higher  value  upon  the  traffic  in  corn,  which  at  best 
yields  but  a  small  profit,  than  do  the  New  York  Central  and  Pennsyl 
vania  roads,  whose  terminal  yards  are  already  crowded  andean  only 
be  enlarged  at 'a  great  outlay  of  money. 

As  these  Southern  roads  also  tap  the  territory  to  the  south  and  west 
of  Chicago,  it  may  be  expected  that  they  will  also,  to  an  increasing 
extent,  div^ert  grain  directly  to  the  Southern  ports,  instead  of  permitting 
it  first  to  go  to  Chicago  and  then  to  take  it  to  those  ports.  A  large 
jDortion  of  the  surplus  corn  being  produced  in  the  territory  to  the 
soutli  of  Chicago,  this  diversion  may  seriously  affect  the  corn  trade  of 
this  city. 

The  table  covering  oats  shows  that  its  eastward  movement  differs 
widely  from  that  of  each  of  the  other  commodities  considered.  For  the 
first  four  years  of  the  period  under  investigation,  namely,  18G8  to  1872, 
the  receipts  by  lake  at  Buffalo  and  Erie  were  almost  equal  to  one-half 
the  receipts  of  the  eight  selected  Atlantic  ports,  the  former  being  33.8 
million  and  the  latter  68.5  million  bushels.  Beginning  with  the  year 
1872  the  receipts  of  the  lower  lake  ports  not  only  declined  relatively, 
but  even  absolutely,  and  in  the  year  1880  reached  the  very  small  aggre- 
gate of  1,(351,350  bushels.  For  the  next  four  years  the  receipts  Avere 
somewhat  larger,  but  in  1885  they  again  fell  very  low,  being  less  than 
the  small  amount  received  in  1880.  The  receipts  at  the  Atlantic  ports, 
on  the  other  hand,  steadily  rose  from  23.7  millions  in  1880  to  40.4  mil- 
lions of  bushels  in  1885.     In  1886  the  lake  receipts  increased  slightly, 

'Proceedings  of  the  special  committee  on  railroads  appointed  under  a  resolution 
of  the  New  York  assembly  to  investigate  alleged  abuses  in  the  mauagemeut  of  rail- 
roads chartered  by  the  State  of  New  York,  1879,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  3041,3012. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COM.MERCE.  47 

aud  those  of  the  seaboard  i)orts  fell  oft"  somewhat.  Since  ISSIJ  the 
rei^eipts  of  the  lake  ports  have  grown  much  more  rai)idly  than  tliose  of 
the  Atlantic  ports,  the  receipts  of  tlie  former  ports  for  181)6  being  40.5 
miillion  and  those  of  the  latter  78.9  million  bushels. 

Wiule  investigating-  the  transportation  of  wheat  and  corn,  it  was 
found  that  the  shifting  of  the  great  producing  areas  was  a  factor  of  i)rime 
importance  in  determining  the  route  by  which  the  crops  would  go  to 
market.  lu  th(i  case  of  oats,  the  movement  was  very  largely  westward 
and  but  slightly  northward;  so  the  situation  has  not  been  so  greatly 
changed  as  in  tiie  case  of  wheat.  Most  ot  the  surplus  oats  is  now  grown 
in  territory  directly  west  of  Chicago.  There  has  been,  however,  some- 
thing of  a  northward  movement  of  the  oats-growing  districts,  and  the 
shipments  by  the  northern  routes — by  lake  from  the  head  of  Lake  Su])e- 
rior  and  by  the  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Kaiiroad — 
have  increased  very  rapidly,  and  in  a  measure  explained  the  unusually 
large  receipts  at  Kuftalo  and  Erie  in  18i)6.  It  niay  be  exj)ected  that 
shipments  over  the  northern  lines  will  increase  largely,  and  therefore 
Chicago  may  lose  the  prominent  position  she  has  so  long  maintained  in 
the  handling  of  this  grain. 

It  has  now  been  shown  to  what  extent  the  railroads  encroached  upon 
the  flour  and  grain  traffic  once  monopolized  by  the  lakes,  the  causes 
have  been  brietly  dwelt  upon  which  enabled  the  railroads  to  make  these 
inroads,  and  the  periods  have  been  given  when  the  greatest  incursions 
were  made.  Attention  was  also  directed  to  the  fact  that  since  the  mid- 
dle of  the  last  decade  the  lake  carriers  have  regained  much  of  the  traf- 
fic lost  in  the  earlier  years.  But  this  was  not  fully  explained;  in  i)art 
it  was  shown  to  be  due  to  the  shifting  of  the  surplus  grain-producing 
regions.  But  nothing  in  the  way  of  an  explanation  was  attem}»ted  of 
the  fact  that  the  lake  -carriers  had  been  more  successful  in  their  strug- 
gle with  the  railroads  for  traffic  from  the  old  competitive  points,  such  as 
Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  This  was  done  designedly,  as  it  was  thought 
best  to  postpone  examination  of  this  matter  until  this  stage  of  this  dis- 
cussion had  been  reached. 

Antiquated  methods  of  doing  business  prevailed  on  the  lakes  until 
the  middle  of  the  last  decade.  It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  there 
had  been  no  progress  in  any  of  the  departments  of  lake  transportation, 
for  such  was  not  the  case.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  lake  transporta- 
tion had  not  availed  itself  ^of  the  advances  made  in  science  and  the 
mechanical  arts.  The  railroads,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  alert  to 
introduce  one  improvement  on  the  heels  of  another.  For  example, 
the  railroads  had  profited  fully  a  decade  and  a  half  by  the  series  of 
inventions  which  resulted  in  cheap  steel  before  the  lake  carriers  began 
to  use  steel  to'any  appreciable  extent.  Methods  of  doing  business  on 
the  lakes  were  also  out  of  date;  modern  methods  have  only  recently 
been  introduced.  It  took  the  lake  carriers  a  decade  to  realize  that  the 
railroads  had  become  worthy  competitors.  Xo  attempt  will  be  made  to 
show  in  detail  the  revolution  that  has  taken  place  since  1885;  the 
improvements  will  be  discussed  in  their  proper  setting.  Suflice  it  to 
say  that  the  era  of  metal  shi[)s  of  great  capacity  propelled  by  steam, 
and  dock  and  harbor  facilities  for  giving  these  vessels  dispatch  in  load- 
ing and  unloading  date  from  this  period.  It  is  needless  again  at  this 
point  to  dwell  upon  the  importance  of  proper  dock  facilities.  A  vessel 
in  port  is  not  i)erforming  the  function  for  which  she  was  built — namely, 
carrying  freight — and  therefore  earns  nothing.  It  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood that  there  was  a  great  and  sudden  improvement  in  lake  transpor- 
tation in  the  year  ISSG  and  that  as  a  result  the  lake  carriers  obtained  a 
much  larger  share  of  the  east-bound  traffic  than  in  1885.     The  improve- 


48  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

ments  were  uot  far-reacliiug  enough  to  account  for  the  change.  The 
sudden  success  of  the  hike  carriers  was  rather  due  to  the  termination, 
in  November,  1S85,  of  a  ruinous  struggle  between  the  trunk  lines,  dur- 
ing which  they  had  at  tunes  carried  goods  at  far  below  remunerative 
rates. 

lY.— THE  TRAFFIC  THROUGH  THE  (JULF  PORTS. 

Xotonly  liave  the  east  and  west  trunk  lines  diverted  tratiBc  from  the 
lakes,  but  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  railroads  leading  to  the  Gulf 
have  done  so  as  well.  This  southern  movement,  however,  never  assumed 
large  proportions  until  the  year  180(5,  and  for  this  year  the  growth  was 
largely  accounted  for  by  the  increased  movement  of  corn.  Our  total 
exports  of  corn  last  year  having  been  unusnally  large,  it  may  be  sup- 
posed that  the  sudden  prominence  of  the  Gulf  ports '  in  the  shipment 
of  grain  is  ei)hemeral.  But  such  a  view  is  hardly  justifiable.  !f  tlie 
Mississippi  River  were  the  only  competing  route  to  the  Gulf  ports,  the 
southern  route  would  not  greatly  encroach  on  the  traffic  now  moving 
over  the  lakes  and  the  east  and  west  trunk  lines.  But  the  Mississippi 
is  no  longer  the  only  line  seriously  competing  with  the  great  east  and 
west  routes  to  the  xitlantic  ports. 

The  railroads  leading  to  the  Gulf  are  in  certain  sections  competing 
with  the  great  east  and  west  I'outes.  As  regards  the  railroads  east  of 
the  Mississippi  River,  this  is  esi)ecially  true  of  the  Illinois  Central, 
which  has  recently  completed  very  excellent  terminal  facilities  at  New 
Orleans  for  handling  grain.  The  small  export  movement  of  grain  via 
New  Orleans  in  past  years  has  been  largely  due  to  the  inade-piate  ter- 
minal facilities  at  that  i)oint.  Although  there  may  be  an  increased 
grain  traffic  over  the  Illinois  Central,  this  enlarged  business  will  not  to 
any  great  extent  be  at  the  expense  of  the  lake  route.  Grain  grown  in 
the  territory  but  a  short  distance  south  of  Chicago  and  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  does  not  go  east  over  the  lake  route,  for  this  is  effectually 
prevented  by  the  high  local  rates  for  the  short  haul  to  the  lake  ports.  It 
need  hardly  be  said  that  if  the  lakes  can  not  monopolize  the  tlour  and 
grain  traffic  fiom  points  situated  immediately  n|)on  the  lakes,  such  as 
Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  they  can  not  successfully  compete  for  the  shij)- 
meut  of  these  commodities  from  x)oints  south  of  Chicago.  The  Senate 
select  committee,  appointed  in  187-5  "to  investigate  and  report  upon  the 
subject  of  transportation  between  the  interior  and  the  seaboard,"  took 
the  position  that  "  the  railroad  interests  practically  control  the  transport 
of  grain  from  all  that  part  of  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana  situated 
south  of  a  latitudinal  line  GO  miles  south  of  Lake  Michigan."^ 

The  railroad  interests  here  referred  to  did  not  include  the  railroads 
running  to  the  Gulf,  but  merely  the  lines  running  to  the  seaboard.  The 
grain  produced  in  the  region  some  little  distan(;e  south  of  Chicago  for 
the  most  i^art  has  been,  and  in  all  probability  will  continue  to  be,  carried 
to  the  Atlantic  ports.  The  railroads  leading  to  the  Gulf  have  no  advant- 
age over  some  of  those  running  to  the  Atlantic  in  point  of  distance  ' ;  and, 

1  For  the  exports  from  the  leading  two  Gulf  ports,  New  Orleans  and  Galveston,  see 
Appendix  II,  Table  VI.  The  exports  rather  than  the  receipts  are  given,  because  the 
former  alone  represent  competitive  business. 

■^Report  of  the  Select  Committee  on  Transportation  Routes  to  the  Seaboard,  page 
24  (Forty-third  Congress,  lirst  session).  Mr.  Windom  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee. 

»From  Chicago  to  New  York,  912  miles;  from  Chicago  to  Philadelphia,  822  miles; 
from  Chicago  to  Baltimore,  802  miles;  from  Chicago  to  Newport  News,  896  miles; 
from  Chicago  to  New  Orleans,  926  miles.  (The  Railroad  Gazette,  (|uarto  vol.  xxix. 
No.  13,  p.  215.)  The  distance  to  New  Orleans  is  that  given  in  the  folder  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  and  is  the  distance  over  that  line. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  49 

iis  oceau  frei<;lit  rates  to  European  ports  are  materially  higiier  than  those 
from  Atlantic  ports,  and  as  the  Gulf  railroads  obtain  but  little  return 
freight,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  these  Hues  are  going  to  draw  much  traffic 
in  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  north  of  St.  Louis  from 
the  northern  trunk  lines,  and  it  is  still  much  more  difficult  to  understand 
how  the  south-bound  lines  will  encroach  upon  the  traffic  which  has 
gone  over  the  lakes.  The  south-bound  lines  have  easy  grades  and  are 
not  troubled  with  snow  and  ice;  but  these  advantages  are  not  sufficient 
to  offset  the  disadvantages  under  which  they  operate. 

An  entirely  different  problem  is  presented  by  the  movement  of  flour 
and  grain  from  the  regions  west  of  the  Mississippi.  In  this  territory 
the  railroads  leading  to  the  Gulf  will  probably  carry  a  great  deal  of 
grain  to  the  Gulf  ports  that  formerly  went  to  the  Atlantic  ports  over 
the  rail  and  lake  route  and  the  all-rail  lines.  Itoughly  speaking,  the 
grain  grown  in  the  territory  north  of  the  east-and-west  line  passing 
through  the  southern  boundary  of  Iowa  will  continue  to  go  over  the 
eastern  rail  and  water  line.  And  probably  the  grain  produced  in 
northeastern  Missouri  will  continue  to  move  over  the  old  routes.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  grain  grown  in  Missouri  south  of  the  Missouri^ 
River  and  in  the  southern  halt  of  Kansas,  and  in  all  the  region  lying 
south  of  these  two  States,  will  ])robably  go,  if  intended  for  export,  by 
the  south-bound  lines  to  the  Gulf.  Between  these  two  regions  lies  a 
district  of  debatable  territory,  formed  of  the  northern  half  of  Kansas, 
the  southern  part  of  Nebraska,  the  extreme  southwestern  part  of  Iowa, 
and  of  northwestern  Missouri.  This  region  includes  much  of  the  best 
agricultural  land  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  River.  It 
may  therefore  be  expected  that  the  eastern  lines  will  not  relinquish  the 
traffic  of  this  territory  without  a  struggle. 

As  the  railroads  leading  to  the  Gulf  have  erected  or  are  erecting  ter- 
minal facilities  for  the  handling  of  grain  on  a  large  scale,  particularlj^ 
at  their  southern  termini,  they  may  be  expected  towage  a  spirited  con- 
test for  the  traffic  of  the  disputed  territory,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
grain  rates  to  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  and  to  the  Gulf  will  probably  fall 
in  the  near  future.  The  most  southern  of  the  east-and-west  trunk  lines 
of  the  Central  Traffic  Association  were  pressed  by  the  association  to 
maintain  rates,  and  as  a  result  they  saw  much  of  the  traffic  which  they 
at  one  time  handled  go  to  the  Gulf  by  the  river  and  rail  lines.  The 
southern  lines  of  the  Central  Traffic  Association  did  not  regard  this 
traffic  as  valuable  enough  to  warrant  them  in  breaking  loose  from  the 
association,  and  the  association  preferred  to  lose  some  traffic;  to  the 
Gulf  lines  rather  than  reduce  rates  on  all  east-bound  grain  traffic  to 
such  a  point  as  would  prevent  grain  from  the  southern  limits  of  their 
territory  from  finding  an  outlet  through  the  Gulf  ports.  Although  the 
Central  Traffic  Association  viewed  with  equanimity  the  diversion  of  a 
portion  of  its  traffic  to  the  Gulf  ports,  it  does  not  follow  that  the  asso- 
ciation will  much  longer  permit  the  diversion  to  the  Gulf  ports  of  the 
traffic  originating  in  the  territory  which  has  supplied  the  railroads 
forming  the  association  with  much  of  their  east-bound  freight. 

Up  to  the  present  time  the  rail  and  water  lines  and  the  all-rail  lines 
to  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  have  regarded  themselves  as  the  natural  heirs 
to  the  whole  of  the  traffic  originating  in  or  destined  for  the  entire 
West.  To  the  lake  carriers  and  the  managers  of  the  east-and-west 
trunk  lines  the  westward  course  of  empire  has  always  presented  itself  as 
new  traffic  for  them.  For  many  years  there  was  an  increasing  tendency 
of  commerce  to  move  on  east-and-west  lines.  The  opening  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  in  1825,  gave  the  first  decisive  impulse  to  commerce  to  move 
H.  Doc.  277 4 


50  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

across  the  country  instead  of  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers 
In  later  years  the  constructiou  of  the  great  trunk  hues,  parallel  to  th 
northern  water  route  formed  by  the  Great  Lakes    and    Erie  Oana 
strengthened  a  movement  which  had    already  become  tirmly  estab 
lished.     On  the  Atlantic  Seaboard,  IS^ew  York,  Boston,  and  Pliiladel 
phia  had  come  to  be  looked  upon  as  the  natural  outlets  and  inlets  for 
the  commerce  of  the  whole  country;  and,  in  a  like  manner,  Chicago, 
by  reason  of  its  favored  position  on  the  lakes  and  its  excellent  rail- 
road facilities,  liad  come  to  be  viewed  as  the  natural  distributing  and 
receiving  point  for  the  entire  West. 

This  idea  that  Chicago  was  to  be  the  gatewoy  througii  which  the 
commerce  to  and  from  the  West  would  move  received  a  severe  shock 
some  years  ago.  As  the  farmer  has  pushed  westward  and  still  farther 
westward,  it  has  become  easier  and  easier  to  make  a  flank  attack  upon 
the  old  lines  of  commerce.  This  has  been  rendered  doubly  easy  where 
the  new* regions  settled  have  been  either  north  or  south  of  the  great 
east-and  west  line  of  movement.  It  has  already  been  shown  how,  with 
the  westward  and  northward  migration  of  the  wheat  fields,  the  wheat 
and  Hour  traffic  avoided  Chicago  and  sought  tlie  more  northern  routes. 
Most  of  this  business  still  goes  through  our  chief  Atlantic  ports,  but 
with  the  rapid  eidargemeut  and  improvement  of  Canadian  transporta- 
tion facilities  now  in  progress  it  will  be  surprising  if  Canadian  ports, 
notably  Montreal,  do  not  secure  a  larger  portion  of  the  export  grain 
business. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  movement  of  flour  and  grain  through  the 
Gulf  ports.  The  old  east-and-west  routes  have  recently  been  brought 
face  to  face  with  a  new  and  serious  situation  in  the  central  West  and 
Southwest.  The  lines  extending  northward  from  the  Gulf  are  not  dis- 
posed to  allow  the  east-and-west  lines  to  control  this  great  traffic  of 
the  transmississippi  region.  The  Gulf  roads  hold  that  the  central 
West  and  Soutliwest  should  exi)ort  their  surplus  products  through  the 
Gulf  ports  and  receive  imports  through  the  same  cities.  This  proposi- 
tion is  nothing  short  of  revolutionary.  It  means  a  breaking  away 
from  the  old  channels  of  shipment  through  Chicago  and  New  York  and 
the  other  eastern  cities;  further,  it  means  that  the  northern  water 
route  and  the  eastern  trunk  lines  are  no  longer  to  be  the  dominant 
power  in  moving  the  products  of  western  farms.  During  the  past  year 
the  railroads  running  to  the  Gulf  have  been  increased  in  number  by 
the  construction  of  the  short  line — tlie  Kansas  City,  Pittsburg  and  Gulf 
Eailroad.^  This  line,  which  was  designed  to  make  Kansas  City  inde- 
pendent of  the  eastern  •  routes,  extends  from  Kansas  City  almost  due 
south  to  Port  Arthur  (Tex.),  at  the  head  of  Sabine  Lake,  an  arm  of  the 
Gulf.  In  the  contest  which  is  already  on  with  the  east-and-west  lines 
this  route  will  be  found  in  the  van.  The  distance  to  tidewater  from 
Kansas  City  is  much  less  by  the  Port  Arthur  route  than  by  the  eastern 
rail  routes,  and  therefore  very  much  less  than  by  the  way  of  the  Great 
Lakes.^  But  too  much  must  not  be  expected  from  this  route  simply  on 
the  ground  of  its  being  much  shorter  than  the  eastern  lines  to  tidewater. 

-  It  is  commonly  known  as  the  Port  Arthur  route. 

2 The  following  table  of  short-line  rail  distances  from  Kansas  City  will  make  this 
clear : 

Miles.    I  Miles. 

New  York 1,303     Galveston 799 

Philadelphia 1,228     Port  Arthur 767 

Baltimore 1, 198  ! 

(Manufacturers'  Record,  February  19,  1897,  p.  2.) 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  51 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  cost  of  service  does  not  vary  as  the  dis- 
tance and  that  rates  are  not  fixed  on  a  niileag'e  basis.  Easy  grades, 
straight  tracks,  a  hirge  tratfic  in  both  directions,  and  cheap  fuel  are 
fully  as  important  as  the  question  of  distance.  So  far  as  the  first  two 
items  are  concerned,  the  Port  Arthur  route  will  compare  very  favorably 
with  any  of  the  Eastern  trunk  lines;  it  can  also  secure  fuel  as  cheaply 
as  most  of  them.  In  the  remaining  point,  however,  th6  Eastern  trunk 
lines  have  the  advantage.  Xot  only  will  the  traffic  over  the  new  line 
be  much  less,  at  least  for  some  time,  than  over  the  Eastern  trunk  lines, 
but  it  will  also  be  very  largely  in  one  direction  unless  this  particular 
railroad  is  more  successful  in  securing  north-bound  traffic  than  the 
other  gulf  roads.  If  no  freight  can  be  found  for  the  cars  going  north, 
the  traffic  going  south  must  pay  the  cost,  not  only  of  its  own  movement, 
but  that  of  iiauling  back  the  empty  cars  as  well.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  the  outlook  for  this  road's  securing  a  double  haul  is  better  than  that 
of  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  other  railroads  running  north  from  the  Gulf. 
The  Port  Arthur  route  passes  through  some  of  the  best  timber  laud  on 
the  continent,  and  it  may  therefore  confidently  expect  a  large  north- 
bound traffic  in  ties  and  lumber.  As  it  passes  through  two  large  coal 
fields,  it  may  also  hope  to  move  large  quantities  of  coal.  Aside  from 
these  main  items,  the  managers  of  this  line  expect  to  haul  a  portion  of 
the  imports  consumed  in  the  territory  tributary  to  their  railroad,  and 
also  hope  to  develop  a  considerable  traffic  in  earlj^  fruits  and  vegetables. 

But  even  supjiosiug  that  the  Port  Arthur  route  can  haul  grain  from 
Kansas  City  to  the  Gulf  for  less  than  the  east  and-west  roads  can 
carry  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  can  this  line  develop  a  large  export 
business!  Are  there  not  adverse  circumstances  which  will  fully 
counterbalance  the  advantage  of  a  low  rate  to  the  Gulf?  Will  not 
higher  ocean  rates  from  the  Gulf  i)orts  and  the  unfavorable  climate  of 
the  Gulf  region  prevent  the  growth  of  the  Southern  export  movement? 
In  answer  to  the  first  of  these  questions,  it  may  be  said  that  ocean  rates 
are  less  unfavorable  from  the  Gulf  ports  now  than  they  were  formerly, 
and  that  as  the  amount  of  freight  which  is  being  offered  to  vessels  is 
increasing,  there  will  be  more  steamship  lines  to  Southern  x)orts  and 
rates  will  be  still  further  lowered.  The  second  question  seems  to  have 
been  answered  by  the  facts.  The  large  amount  of  capital  that  has 
recently  been  invested  in  Southern  terminals  for  handling  grain  by  per- 
sons familiar  with  the  climate  and  the  immense  movement  of  grain 
through  Gulf  ports  during  the  year  1896  should  be  deemed  sufficient 
proof  that  the  climate  of  the  Gulf  does  not  rise  as  an  obstacle  to  pre- 
vent the  development  of  an  export  trade  through  the  Gulf  ports.  How- 
ever, the  most  circumspect  persons  make  errors,  and  the  experience  of 
a  single  year  does  not  afford  a  sufficient  basis  for  a  sound  inference,  so 
perhaps  this  point  is  not  even  now  to  be  considered  as  definitively  set- 
tled in  the  affirmative. 


62 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Appendix  II. 

TABLES  RELATING  TO  THE  FLOITR  AND  GRAIN  TRAFFIC. 

Table  I. 

Elerator  charges  at  Chicago  and  Buffalo  and  lake  freights  on  wheat  from  Cliicago  to  Buffalo. 


Elevator  charges. 

Lake 

Year. 

Chicago  . 
wheat  per 
bushel. a 

Buflalo 
wheat  per 
bushel.6 

Chicago 

aud 
Buflalo. 

Ce7its. 

freights. 
Chicago 
toBuff'alo. 

Cents. 

Cents. 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.00 
1.00 
1.00 
1.00 
1.00 
1.00 

Cents. 

1872                                                             -   -                  

2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 

3.25 

3.25 

3.25 

3.00 

3.00 

3.00 

2.25 

2.25 

2.25 

2. 125 

2. 125 

2.125 

2.125 

2.125 

2.125 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

1.625 

11  46 

Ig75                                                                                                  

3  4a 

1877                                                        

a  72 

1879                              

4  74 

5.76 

1.  25            -  875 

1882                                                                                              

1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
1.25 
.75 
.75 
.75 
.75 

.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 
.875 

2.50 

1884                                             

2.18 

2.02 

1887                                                             .                                  

4  13 

2.56 

1889                                         .           

2.51 

1.96 

1891                       

.  75             . 875 
.  75             . 875 
.  75             .  875 
.  75             .  875 
.75            .875 
.75             .875 

2.38 

1892                                                                                                  

2  19 

1.66 

1894                                                               

1.27 

1.92 

1896                                

1.63 

a  Published  rates;  from  10  to  20  days'  storage  included. 
b  Storage  included ;  5  to  10  days  the  limit. 

A  comparison  of  columns  4  and  5  shows  that  the  elevator  charges  have  not  fallen  so  rapidly  i 
transportation  rates ;  the  former  have  therefore  become  an  increasing  burden. 


Table  II. 

Elevating  and  storage  rates  at  Buffalo. 

[Internal  Commerce,  1885,  p.  489.] 


Charge  to  Charge  to  "^JT^^t^ 
grain.    '  vessels,     ^l^l^l 


1855  and  1856a 

1857  to  1860a 

Cents. 

1 

P 

1 

Cent. 

1862  to  1804 

1865  and  1866 

1867  and  1868 

1869 

1870 

1871... 

Charge  to  Charge  to 
gram        ' 


5 
10 

20  ;, 

10  i 
10 

5  I 

ll 


Cents. 
1872  and  18736....   cl 

1874 1 

1875  and  1876  &....    cjtoj 

1877 j         I 

1878& Jto| 

1879  & I     I  to  I 

1880  6  and  1881 . . . . ;     |  to  | 

18826 1      dj 

1883  and  1884 | 


Cent. 

i 
i 


Number 
of  days' 
storage. 


o Estimated.    Elevators  running  wild  greater  part  of  the  year.    Xo  records  kept;  figures  obtained 
from  old  residents  in  the  grain  and  vessel  interests. 
6  Running  wild  part  of  the  year, 
c  About. 
tiAverage. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


53 


NOTES  ON  THE  FOLLOWING  TABLES. 

The  tables  of  sbipmeuts  of  flour  auci  grain  by  lake  from  Chicago,  compiled  by 
George  F.  Stoue,  secretary  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  are  based  upon  the  custom- 
house records;  rail  shipments  are  obtained  directly  from  the  railroads.  In  the  case 
of  Milwaukee,  shipments  by  lake  are  also  based  upon  the  custom-house  reports; 
shipments  of  flour  and  grain  as  given  in  the  following  tables  are  much  less  than 
they  really  were,  for  Milwaukee  is  used  very  largely  as  an  intermediate  port.  Kail 
shipments  from  ^lilwaukee  are  furnished  by  the  railroads.  Receipts  of  flour  and 
grain  at  Erie  are  based  upon  the  custom-house  records.  Receipts  of  flour  and  grain 
at  Burt'alo  are  also  based  upon  the  custom-house  records.  The  table  of  receipts  at 
Buttalo  was,  however,  submitted  to  P.  G.  Cook,  secretary  of  the  Western  Elevating- 
Association,  and  pronounced  by  him  approximately  correct  for  the  years  for  which 
his  association  has  records.  The  records  of  the  association  cover  more  than  half  the 
years  of  the  table. 

Table  III. 

East-hontid  shipinenta  of  flour  and  wheat  from  Chicago. 

[Compiled  from  data  furnislied  by  George  F.  Stone,  .secretary  of  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.] 


Tear. 


Year  ending  December  31- 

1860 

1861 

1862 

1863 

Tear  ending  March  31 — 

1864 

1865 

1866 

1867 


Year  ending  December  31- 
1870 


Flour  (barrels). 


Wheat  (bushels). 


1,001,618 
672,  961 


626,823  11,817,476 
1.  544.  545  15,  005,  735 
1,730,764     13,466,325 


377, 647 
730.  873 
175, 322 


12, 195, 123 
15, 736, 608 
13,  641,  647 


1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 


1894. 
1895. 


270.  855 

208, 747 

721,  068 

1,  585, 776 

1, 187,  582 

1,  749,  973 

989, 160 

694,  274 

1,  022, 968 

1,  773, 467 

1,  672.  037 
1,872,943 

2,  309,  530 
2,  229,  729 
2,371,623 
2,  675, 402 
2. 264,  886 
4,  235,  559 

2.  887,  603 

3,  067, 275 

3,  930,  576 
4, 450,  051 

2,  244,  376 

4,  682,  546 

3,  613,  922 
1, 951,  274 
2, 172,  761 
2.  244, 280 
3, 123,  553 
2,  493,  206 
1,926,285 
1,597,495 
1,  666,  739 
1,557,342 


1,  478, 198 
1,  243, 540 
1,  367, 424 
2, 067,  267 

1,  837,  949 

2,  524,  529 

1,  563,  553 
1, 182,  979 

1,  246,  425 

2,  201,  788 
2,  227, 189 
2,  201,  226 
2,  546, 121 
2,  378,  508 

2,  693,  271 

3,  005,  659 

2,  792,  759 

4,  394,  974 

3,  680,  367 
3, 868,  374 

4,  683,  933 
5, 102,  424 
3,  635,  611 
6,  226,  742 

5,  325,  292 
3,  762,  741 
3,  930,  506 
3,  885. 018 
5,  578,  559 
3,  964,  266 
3.  556,  630 
2,  389, 115 
2, 673,  690 
2,  618,  076 


10,646,052 
9,983,567 
6,502,575 
5, 827,  846 
8, 492,  187 
8,  896,  647 

13,  429,  069 
12, 120,  923 
8,831,870 

15.  528,  984 

16,  974, 149 

16,  061,  054 
7, 396,  369 

10,  345,  983 

12,  903,  481 

17,  622,  796 
16, 685^046 

14'  944]  258 
7,  067, 657 

11,  518,  884 

5,  436,  461 
10,  513, 126 
17,  313,  351 

5, 895,  379 
10,  330,  675 

6,  965,  834 
31, 102-,  888 
33,  498,  .'547 
19, 720,  775 
15.  016,  804 

13,  258,  440 
13, 232,  818 
18, 449,  628 


114,075 
1.147,510 
3,605,618 
1, 072, 078 
2,114,300 

2,  621,  699 
576,  648 
2, 363,  810 
8, 149,  209 
9,  725,  251 

5. 956,  609 

5,  378,  792 

2. 957,  250 
10,018,880 
12,  232,  323 

4,  742,  343 
7,728.124 
2,920,526 

2,  696,  071 

6,  322, 493 

5,  496,  544 
2, 462,  918 

6,  893, 504 

3,  998,  998 

4,  814,  978 
2,  953,  826 

5,  470,  333 

6,  792, 284 
2,  618,  327 

940, 202 
5,  666,  997 
9,  845, 117 
5,511,774 


10, 685, 820 

10,  097,  642 
7,  650,  085 
9,  433,  464 
9, 564,  265 

11,  010,  947 

16,  050,  768 

12,  697,  571 
11, 195,  680 
23, 678, 193 
26, 699, 400 
22, 017,  663 

12,  775, 161 

13,  303,  233 
22, 922,  361 
29,85.5.119 
21,427.389 
15,  416,  196 

17,  864,  784 
9,  763,  728 

17,  841,  377 
10,  933,  005 
12,  976,  044 
24,  206,  855 

9,  894,  377 
15, 145,  653 

9, 919, 660 
36,  573,  221 
40,  290,  831 

22,  339,  102 
15, 957,  006 
18, 925, 437 
23, 077, 935 

23.  961,  402 


54 


STATISTICS    OP    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


East-bound  shipments  of  corn  and  oats  from  ChiciKjo. 
I  Compiled  from  data  furuished  by  George  F.  Stone,  secretary  Chicago  Board  of  Trade. 


Corn  (bnshela). 
Rail. 


Tear  ending  December  31— 

18CU 13,  063, 043 

1861 28,987,240 

1862 29, 248,  677 

Year  ending  March  31 — 

1864 24, 749, 400 

1865 11,  998, 475 

1866 24,  421 ,  600 

1867 31,  457,  855 

1868 i  19,  940, 172 

1869 !  21 ,  671,  071 

Year  ending  December  31 — 

1870 13,598,387 

1871 34,200,876 

1872 1  41,589,508  ' 

1873 34,  487,  205 

1874 30,242,311 

1875 21,850,652 

1876 28,104,265 

1877 1  38,607,611 

1878 46,368,653 

1879 41,561,.-!36 

1880 72, 400,  769  I 

1881 '  44,164,571  I 

1882 31,394,261 

1883 '  47,738,117  ' 

1884 27,  360, 924 

1885 29,382,591 

1886 40, 950, 177 

1887 38,710,856 

1888 47,  759,  708 

1889 63,  200, 754 

1890 57, 255, 466 

1891 40, 069.  786 

1892 43,920,570 

1893 62,  967,  955 

1894 37, 148,  719 

1895 47,  857,  550 

1896 74,379,206  ] 

1897 85,250,760 


577,611 
352,  044 
125, 162 

120,  694 
616,  077 
674,  053 

1,  452, 162 
1,612,851 

3,  367, 718 

4, 018, 479 

2,  435,  220 
5,  388, 402 
2,194,361 
2,  364,  833 

4,  321,  559 
17,  299.  232 

7,657,511 
13,504,458 
19,711,615 

21,  100,849 
29.  625,  348 
16,  965,  706 

22,  766, 745 
24, 526,  517 
28,  682,  864 
13, 903, 051 
10, 674,  781 
20,  520,  599 
20,  070, 032 
31,  834,  558 
25,  282,  938 
19,  900,  596 
15,055,015 
16,  171, 144 
10,  384,  623 
12,  063,  390 
11, 482, 004 


13,  640, 654 
24,  339,  284 
29,  373,  839 

24,  870, 094 
12,  614,  552 
25, 095.  653 
32,  910,  017 
21,  553,  023 

25,  038,  789 

17,  616,  866 
36,  636,  096 
46,  977, 910 
36,681,566 
32,  607,  144 

26,  172,211 

45,  403, 497 

46,  265, 122 
.59.873,111 
61,272,951 
93,  .501,  618 
73,  789,  919 

48,  359, 967 
70,  504,  862 
51,  887, 441 
58, 065,  455 
54,  859,  228 

49,  385, 637 
68,  280,  307 
83,  270, 786 
89,  000, 024 
65,  352,  724 
63.  821, 160 
78,  022,  970 
53,  319,  863 
58,242,173 
86, 442,  596 
96, 732, 764 


Oats  (bushels). 


Rail. 


605.  304 
1, 422. 776 
2, 470,  745 

5,  696,  800 
12,(198,000 

8,  719,  900 

7,  395, 113 
9, 745,  205 

12,  755,  929 

6,  339, 220 

8,  797, 599 
6, 370,  784 
5, 985, 954 
4,741,088  i 
4,579,248 
2, 997,  335 
5,013,278 
6,255,003 
1,589,939 
2,139,473  , 
4,  807,  .581  I 
3,633,638 
4,938,546  t 
5,444,889 
1,571,481 
3,219,833 

10,215,112  1 

13,764,336 

24,948,459 

18,  522,  884 

17,832,975 

19,127,515 

22,563,294 

13,913,761 

17,694,345 

23,798,409 

50,192,982 


357, 451 

2,  213,  058 
2,  922,  792 
1,  538,  383 

1,  911,  664 
388,114 

2,  004, 191 

2,  064, 333 
3,312,421 
5, 853,  319 
9, 559,  635 
5,  674, 137 
5,  512,  812 
8, 166, 155 
7, 424,  788 
10, 149,  386 
11,  880,  719 
18,  402,  996 

17,  844,  017 

18,  966,  513 

26,  372,  649 

27,  780,  317 
29,  925,  784 
27,  756,  005 
24,  612,  448 
25,761,204 
24,  814, 104 
50,  604,  575 
48,  518,  064 
44,567,510 
41,  425,  300 
32.  719,  788 
46,  472,  086 
55, 992,  549 
53,  340, 236 


1,  492,  507 
2,828,196 

7,  909,  858 

15,  020,  702 
10,258,283 

9,  300,  777 
10,  133,  319 
14,  760,  120 

8,  403,  553 
12,  110,  020 
12,  224, 103 
15,545,589 
10,  415,  225 
10,  092,  060 
11, 163,  490 
12,438,066 

16,  404, 389 
13,470,658 
20,  542, 469 
22,  651,  598 
22,  GOO,  161 
31,311,195 

33,  225, 206 
31, 497,  265 
30,  975,  838 

34,  827,  560 
30,  525, 540 
49, 762,  563 
69, 127, 459 
66,  351,  030 
63,  695,  025 
63,  988,  594 
46,  633,  549 
64,167,031 
79,790,958 

103,  533,  218 


TATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


55 


Table  IV. 

JEasl-bound  sk'qjments  of  Jlour  and  ivlieat  from  Milivankee. 
[Prepared  from  data  I'uruished  by  "W.  J.  Langson,  secretary  of  Milwaukee  Chamber  of  Commerce.] 


Flour  (barrels). 

Wheat  (bushels). 

Tear. 

Rail. 

Trausit 
lines. a 

Lake. 

Total. 

Kail. 

Trausit 
lines.a 

Lake. 

Total. 

1860 

-  11,454 

118,  307 

327,  782 

457,  543 

8.298 

27,  756 

7,  532,  554 

7,  568,  608 

1861 

76,  371 
10, 183 

224,  632 

373, 471 

674, 474 

98,  780 

13  201,715 

13,300  495 

1862 

260, 947 

440,  275 

711,  405 

6,773 



14, 908, 907 

14,  915,  680 

127, 468 

472,619 

1864 

5,265 

52,  251 

357,  317 

414, 833 

3,712 

8,169 

8,  980.  598 

8,  992,  479 

1865 

69,  662 

47,  953 

449, 961 

567,  576 

310,495 

2,289 

10, 166,  993 

10,  479,  777 

242,  681 

83,  812 

393, 872 

720,  365 

695, 188 

63, 170 

10, 876,  391 

11,  634,  749 

1867 

324,  048 

111,  535 

486,  080 

921,  663 

322, 461 

29,  543 

9, 246, 448 

9,  598, 452 

1868 

359,  721 

104.  882 

552, 995 

1,  017, 598 

455,  810 

10, 401 

9,  411,  888 

9,  878, 099 

1869 

340,  493 

188, 864 

690,  701 

1,  220, 058 

312,515 

19,  536 

13,  940,  748 

14,  272, 799 

1870 

233,  540 

209, 201 

783, 200 

1,  225,  941 

282. 061 

79,  752 

15.  766,  025 

16, 127, 838 

1871 

127,  722 

362,  606 

719,  921 

1,  210,  249 

302,  399 

24, 078 

13,  082,  990 

13, 409. 467 

1872 

306,  076 

421,  757 

507, 168 

1,  235, 001 

785,557 

168,  043 

10, 616, 975 

11,  570,  575 

1873 

757,  805 

257,  608 

789,  787 

1,805,200 

1,  702,  326 

489,  247 

22, 802,  693 

24, 994,  266 

1874 

854,  584 

330,  271 

1,  032,  724 

2,  217,  579 

3, 172, 165 

1,193,786 

17,  889, 429 

22,  255,  380 

1875 

990,  038 

353,  300 

819.  047 

2, 162,  385 

2,  820,  257 

374, 140 

19,  474, 270 

22,  668, 667 

1876 

1,  289, 147 

719,  268 

643,  977 

2,  652,  392 

2,  265,  374 

1.751,211 

12,  754,  987 

16,771,572 

1877 

102,  675 

555,  700 

493,  026 

1, 151,  401 

568,  572 

930,  687 

16,  098,  525 

17,  597,  784 

1878 

170,  084 

533, 439 

734,  543 

1, 438,  066 

1,  937, 110 

2, 330,  795 

10,510,017 

14,  777, 922 

1879 

333, 118 

821,728 

728,  639 

1,883.485 

1,  841,  888 

1,  205,  229 

9,  955,  085 

13, 002,  202 

1880 

230,415 

859,  666 

938,  575 

2,  028,  656 

1,021,490 

286,  462. 

7,  025,  959 

8.  333,  911 

1881 

473, 340 

668,  825 

717,707 

1,859,872 

793,  962 

403,  062 

5, 000,  589 

6, 197, 613 

1882 

218,  241 

971,  369 

1,  540, 549 

2, 730, 159 

174, 110 

189, 548 

825,  570 

1, 189,  234 

1883 

162,678 

1,  236, 932 

1,402,181 

2,  801,  791 

123,  700 

8,780 

1,871,995 

2,  004,  475 

1884 

200,  398 

1,  272,  800 

1,  581, 997 

3, 055,  205 

1, 446,  663 

66,  209 

2,  083,  817 

3,  296, 689 

1885 

530,  636 

883, 476 

1,  370,  922 

2,  785,  034 

2,  107,  940 

41, 757 

3,  228, 934 

5, 378,  631 

1886 

153,  609 

1, 495,  500 

2,  344,  673 

3,  993,  782 

507,  695 

4,146 

4,  205, 470 

4,717,311 

1887 

328,  538 

1,  306,  791 

1, 663,  914 

3,  299,  243 

543,  600 

98,  463 

4,  213, 906 

4,  855,  969 

1888 

413,418 

1, 167,  660 

1,  820, 123 

3,  401,  201 

682, 490 

35, 115 

1, 759, 508 

2,  477, 113 

1889 

268,  819 

1,114,446 

1,  836,  308 

3,  219,  573 

436,  845 

91,  382 

973,  035 

1,  51)1,  262 

1890 

196,  389 

1,  379,  389 

1,  613,  728 

3, 189,  504 

203,  875 

122,  395 

1,  389,  714 

1,715,984 

1891 

407,  912 

1,  543, 120 

1,  858,  027 

3,  809,  059 

1, 158,  678 

165,919 

1.  247,  724 

2, 572,  321 

1892 

467,  728 

1,  525,  035 

2,  312,  673 

4, 305,  436 

1,299,699 

454, 101 

1, 833,  994 

3.  587, 794 

1893 

417,  405 

962,  694 

1,  677, 033 

3,  057, 132 

1,  303,  820 

47,  591 

1,  971,  776 

3,  323, 187 

1894 

336.  525 

928, 000 

1  889  686 

3,154,211 

224,  850 

13,  565 

231,  227 

469, 642 

1895 

416, 172 

1, 149, 781 

1,  790,  653 

3, 3.56, 606 

1,519,350 

262,  305 

858,  600 

2, 640,  255 

1896 

410,710 

2,164,016 

1,  975, 165 

4,  549, 891 

1,  084,  900 

370,  350 

797,873 

2,  253, 123 

1897 

449,  330 

1,  395,  355 

2, 077. 145 

3,  921,  830 

756,  700 

166,  545 

1, 106,  604 

2,  028,  849 

a  "Transit  lines"  are  the  routes  formed  by  vessels  across  Lake  Michigan  and  railroads  running  to 
the  east  and  southeast. 


56 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE, 


East-honnd  shipments  of  corn  and  oats  from  Milwaukee. 
[Prepared  from  data  furnisUed  by  W.  J.  Langsou,  secretary  of  Milwaukee  Chamber  of  Commerce.] 


a  "  Transit  lines  "  are  the  routes  formed  by  vessels  across  Lake  Michigan  and  railroads  running  to 
he  east  and  southeast. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


57 


Table  V. 


Beeeipts  of  tlonr  and  wheal  at  Erie  and  Buffalo  btj  lake,  and  receipts  at   the  lcad\n<j  eight 
Atlantic  ports. 

[,000  omitted.] 


Flour  (barrels) 


Wheat  (bushels),  Leading 

eight 

Buflalo.6    Total.    ^«X' 


flf  The  receipts  at  Erie  are  those  given  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  Xew  York  Produce  Exchange. 

b  The  receipts  at  Biiffalo  are  those  given  in  "A  sketch  of  the  commerce,  industries,  and  resources  of 
Butialo,  1883,"  by  William  Thurstone,  secretary  of  the  Bufialo  Merchants'  Exchange,  in  the  annual 
reports  of  the  Xeiv  York  Produce  Exchange,  and  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  BuflFalo  Merchants' 
Exchange. 

c  Canadian  receipts  through  the  custom-house  not  included  in  1877.  1878,  1879,  1880,  1881,  1882,  and 
1883  in  the  statements  of  Buffalo  receipts. 

d  No  separate  record  kept :  estimated  same  as  in  1889. 


58 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Beceipts  of  corn  and  oats  at  Erie  and  Buffalo  hji  lake,  and  receipts  at  the  leading  eight 
Atlantic  ports. 

[,000  omitted.] 


Com  (bushels). 


1868 

517 

1870 

554 

1871 

1872. 

621 

1873 

1  344 

1874 

1875 

859 

1876 

2,941 

1877c 

1878  c 

3  195 

1879c •- 

1881c 

4  667 

2,578 
3,140 
1,263 
1.647 
1  479 

1883  c  . 

1884 

1886 

354 

1  63P 

1888 

1889 

3,522 
7,225 
2,231 
5,595 
8,009 
2,651 
2,  759 
6,843 

1891 

1892 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

17, 321 
12, 186 
9,964 
26, 412 

35,  264 
29, 895 
26.  474 
23, 452 
23, 881 

36,  385 
38,  329 
35,  110 
69, 284 
39, 102 
24.  243 
38, 115 
19,  801 
22,  675 
30,  634 
30,  554 
:i8, 058 
50,  649 
51,362 
31,847 

37,  973 
48, 549 
31,730 
40,  339 
54,  654 


Leading 

eight 
Atlantic 


Oats  (bushels). 


Erie,  a  Buffalo .  6    Total. 


30, 800 
20, 315 
18, 655 
40, 417 
71,488 
49, 322 
51,  749 

46,  929 
84,713 
82,716 
97,  306 
94,  680 

115,410 
84,  983 
28,  402 
62,  764 
39,  555 
77,  440 
67, 585 
43,614 

47,  799 
83, 149 
92,444 
50, 949 
83, 838 
59,802  I 
53, 546 
66, 933 

113, 456 


11.  492 

5,459 
6,846 
9,006 
6,  050 
5,972 
5,396 
8,494 

2,  397 
4,279 
5,122 
1,104 
1,649 
3,565 
1.650 

3,  226 
3,174 

767 
1,014 

4,  656 
7,897 

14, 309 
13, 860 
12, 454 
16,500  , 
20,700 
15,560 
22,231  , 
40,107  \ 
64,141  I 


11,  806 
5,589 
7,  367 
9,048 
6,997 
6,  323 
5,  991 
8,682 

2,  703 

4,  301 

5,  200 
1,384 
1,654 
4,070 
2, 197 

3,  .502 
.3,  194 

1,014 
4,656 
7.965 
14,861 
13,  865 
12, 637 
16,  500 

21,  061 
15, 565 

22,  281 
40,  492 


Leading 
eight 

Atlantic 
ports. 


16,  755 

15,  259 
15,486 

21,  015 

22,  2.54 
•1-1.  270 
'JO,  :i33 
19,070 

23,  705 

19,  243 
23,  842 

20,  786 

23,  714 

24,  738 
25, 464 
30,040 
31,525 
40,412 
35,917 
35,449 
40, 052 
38,415 
52,  310 
45, 563 
50, 453 
52, 495 
44,  940 
45. 109 
78,  919 


a  The  receipts  at  Erie  are  those  given  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange. 

&The  receipts  at  Buffalo  are  those  given  in  "A  sketch  of  the  commerce,  industries,  and  re.sources 
of  Buffalo,  18i83,"  by  "William  Thurstone.  .secretary  of  the  Buffalo  Merchants'  Exchange,  in  the  annual 
reports  of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange,  anil  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  Buffalo  Mercbauts' 
Exchange. 

c  Canadian  receipts  through  the  custom-house  not  included  in  1877,  1878,  1879,  1880,  1881,  18S2,  and 
1883  in  the  statements  of  Buffalo  receipts. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


59 


Taislic  VI. 

Exports  of  flour  and  icheatfrom  Xeic  OrUans  and  Galveston,  (a) 
[  ,000  omitted.] 


Flour  (barrels). 


1881- 
1882- 
1883. 
1884. 
1885. 
1887. 
1888. 

1890. 
1891. 
1892. 
1893. 
1894. 
1895. 


New 
Orleans. 


5-t 
43 
32 
44 
52 
22() 
118 
133 
91 
26S 


Gal 
veston. 


Wheat  (bushels). 


New  Gal- 

Orleans,     veston. 


3,923 
7,671 
1,543 


1,590 
4,346 
1,566 
961 
1,523 
10,  336 
14, 207 
12.  897 
2,926 
836 
3,853 


587 

378 

1,311 

135 


3,439 


3,923 
7,671 
1,543 
7,092 
675 
1,592 
4,346 
1,566 
961 
1,523 
10, 923 
14,  585 
13,  208 
3,061 
836 
7,292 


a  For  1880  to  1890  the  figures  were  obtained  from  Commerce  and  Navigation  of  United  States, 
1889  to  1896  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  New  York  Produce  Exchauoe.  The  exports  wert 
instead  of  the  receipts,  because  the  former  alone  could  be  competitive  traffic. 


,nd  for 

taken 


Ex-ports  of  corn  and  oats  from  New  Orleans  and  Galveston. 


Tear. 

Corn  (bushels). 

Oats  (bushels). 

New 
Orleans. 

^^^"      i    Total 
veston.        ^"'^'''• 

New           Gal-          rr.^^, 
Orleans,  j  veston.        ^^*^'- 

1880 

8,039 
8,900 
1,740 
6,378 
6,052 
6,645 
7  506 

0  '        8,  039 
0  i        a,  900 
0  i        1,740 
3  1        6.381 
0           6, 052 
0  !        6,645 
0   i          7  .SOfi 

4  '                0                    4 

188-' 

3                  0                    3 

1884 

3  1                0                    3 

1885 

1887 

■>                  5                    7 

1888 

4,950 
11,813 
12.  028 
1,912 
7,379 
6,506 
5,441 
8,757 
25, 293 

0 

0 

36 

13 

145 

98 

5 

1,233 

6,222 

4,950 
11,  813 
12,064 
1,925 
7,524 
6,604 
5,446 
8,990 
31,  515 

1                 n                   1 

1889              

0 
26 
2 
9 
123 
13 
24 
262 

0  '                  0 

1890 

1  [                "7 

1892 

1893 

1894. . 

18                  31 

1895 

1896 

262 

PART  III. 

LAKE  TRANSPORTATION  AND  THE  IRON-ORE  INDUSTRY. 

In  exaininiu.ii-  the  traffic  statistics  of  the  (Ireat  Lakes  our  attention 
is  at  ouce  arrested  by  the  enormous  amount  ofiron  ore  that  is  annually- 
transported.  During  the  navigation  season  of  1897,  of  the  18,1)82,755 
net  tons  of  freight  sent  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal,  10,033, 7]o 
net  tons  were  iron  ore;  the  total  shipments  of  iron  ore  by  lake  from  all 
the  lake  ports  aggregated  13,(581,522  net  tons.  At  present,  approxi- 
mately, two-thirds  of  the  iron  ore  consumed  by  the  blast  furnaces  of 
this  country  is  carried,  during  some  portion  of  the  journey  from  the 
mine  to  the  furnace,  over  the  waters  of  the  (Ireat  Lakes.  That  this 
vast  amount  of  ore  from  the  Lake  Superior  region  has  affected  the 
mining  operations  of  the  otiier  ore-producing  districts  and  has  had  a 
far-reaching  effect  upon  the  development  of  our  iron  and  steel  industries 
is  a  matter  of  general  information.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  point  out 
the  extent  to  which  the  exploitation  of  tiie  mines  in  other  portions  of 
the  United  States  has  l)eeu  effected  by  the  output  from  the  mines  of 
the  Lake  Superior  region. 

Before  develo[)ing  the  point  Just  raised,  it  will  be  well,  perliaps,  to 
locate  in  a  general  way  the  regions  in  which  large  (piantities  of  ore  are 
now  being  mined.  Iron  ore  is  very  widely  distributed  throughout  the 
United  States.  With  possibly  three  exceptions  every  State  and  Terri- 
tory in  the  Union  has  mined  iron  ore  or  contains  deposits.  But  at 
present  nearly  the  whole  product  is  won  from  the  inines  of  three  districts. 

The  Eastern  region,  and  naturally  the  first  to  be  noticed,  covers  a 
great  extent  of  territory;  but  the  mines  of  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio  have  contributed  nearly  the  whole  output  of 
this  division.  Within  its  borders  all  four  of  the  varieties'  of  ore  are 
mined. 

'For  tfie  sake  of  simplicity  I  sliall  use  tlie  classification  of  ores  adopted  by  the 
TJnited  States  (Geological  Survey,  as  follows:  (1)  Red  hematite  comprises  those 
ores  in  which  the  iron  occurs  as  an  anhydrous  oxide,  giving  a  red  streak  on  a  porce- 
lain plate,  the  color  of  the  ore  being  generally  a  brownish-red  or  red,  although 
sometimes  a  dark  gray,  almost  black.  This  class  includes  "  red  hematite,"  "fossil," 
or  ''Clinton"  ores,  "specular,"  "micaceous"  ore,  "slate"  ore,  etc.,  as  well  as  some 
"martite."  (2)  Brown  hematite,  which  contains  more  water  than  the  red  hematite, 
is  generally  of  a  brown  or  yellow  color,  and  when  powdered  shows  a  brown  or 
brownish-yellow  streak  on  the  porcelain  plate.  The  varieties  are  known  as 
"limonite,"  "turgite,"  "pipe"  ore,  "bog"  ore,  "goethite,"  "oolitic"  ore,  etc.  (3) 
Magnetite  comprises  those  ores  in  which  iron  occurs  as  a  magnetic  oxide,  generally 
black  or  blueblack,  or  occasionally  steel  gray  or  greenish  in  color,  and  which  when 
powdered  give  a  black  streak  on  a  test  i)late,  and  are  attracted  by  a  magnet.  In 
this  class  is  iucluded  some  "martite,"-  which  is  mined  with  magnetite.  (4)  Carbon- 
ate includes  those  iron  ores  which  contain  an  excess  of  carbonic  acid.  They  are 
generally  gray,  yellow,  or  rather  Initf  and  brown  in  color,  and  are  tested  by  the  use 
of  hydrocliloric  acid.  They  comprise  the  "black  band"  ores,  "clay  ironstones," 
"spathic"  ores,  "siderites,"  etc. 

From  some  mines,  brown  and  red  hematite,  or  red  hematite  and  magnetite,  or  car- 
bonate and  brown  hematite  ores  are  obtained  out  of  the  same  workings,  the  extent 
to  which  ores  are  hydrated  or  weathered  transferring  them  from  one  class  to  another ; 
or  different  classes  of  ore  are  found  intermixed  or  alternating  in  the  same  deposit. 
(John  Birkinbine,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ore  in  Various  parts  of  the  World,  p.  177.) 
60 


STATIISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  61 

Pennsylvauia  is  ricli  in  allot'  the  four  different  kinds  of  ore,  but  they 
seldom  contain  as  bijih  a  percentage  of  iron  as  is  now  insisted  upon  by 
managers  of  blast  furnaces.  The  bulk  of  Pennsylvania's  product  is 
now  of  the  magnetite  variety.  This  is  largely  taken  from  the  Cornwall 
Ore  Hills,  three  hills  of  iron  ore  situated  in  Lebanon  County  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  State.  This  ore  is  suited  to  the  manufacture 
of  Bessemer  steel,  but  is  rather  low  in  metallic  iron,  as  it  averages  but 
40  to  50  per  cent.  N^ew  York  also  produces  the  four  different  varieties 
of  ore,  but  at  present  the  bulk  of  the  product  is  magnetite  in  character 
and  is  mined  in  the  Lake  Champlain  district.  Most  of  this  ore  is  rich 
in  metallic  iron  and  some  of  it  is  of  Bessemer  quality.  Very  near  the 
whole  of  the  output  of  the  mines  of  New  Jersey  is  of  the  magnetite 
variety,  and  much  of  it  is  of  excellent  quality.  Many  mines  of  this  State 
are  now  practically  exhausted  and  others  are  operated  only  at  increas- 
ing cost  lieoause  of  the  depth  to  which  the  ore  has  been  removed  and 
the  narrowness  of  the  veins.'  The  ores  of  Ohio  are  carbonates  and  are 
comparatively  poor. 

The  Lake  Superior  region,  unlike  the  Eastern  region,  embraces  but  a 
small  extent  of  territory.  It  falls  within  the  northern  jiortions  of  the 
States  of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  and  the  Cpper  Peninsula  of  Michi- 
gan. There  are  live  great  iron-ore  ranges  within  this  district,  Marquette, 
Gogebic,  Menominee,  Vermilion,  and  31esabi,  The  Marquette  range  is 
located  in  Michigan;  the  Gogebic  and  Menominee  are  partly  in  Michi- 
gan and  partly  in  Wisconsin,  and  the  Vermilion  and  Mesabi  lie  wholly 
within  the  State  of  Minnesota.  The  ores  of  this  region  are  red  and 
brown  hematites  and  magnetites,  but  the  bulk  of  the  ore  now  shipj^ed 
is  of  the  red  hematite  variety.  Only  the  richer  ores  are  now  shipped, 
as  most  of  the  blast  furnaces  using  Lake  Superior  ores  are  situated  at 
great  distances  from  the  mines. 

The  third  great  ore  region  is  located  in  the  South,  and  embraces  the 
central  portion  of  Tennessee,  the  northern  part  of  Alabama,  and  north- 
western Georgia.  It  is  generally  known  as  the  Alabama-Tennessee  region. 
This  division  ranks  next  in  importance  to  the  Lake  Superior  district 
as  a  contributor  to  the  iron-ore  output  of  the  United  States.  Xearly 
all  the  ore  now  mined  in  this  region  is  red  and  brown  hematite.  It  is 
neither  so  rich  in  metallic  iron  nor  so  free  from  deleterious  ingredients 
as  are  the  Lake  Superior  ores. 

It  w^as  stated  at  the  beginning  that  the  very  large  movement  of  ore 
from  the  Lake  Superior  region  has  affected  mining  operations  in  the 
other  districts.  In  order  to  show  the  amount  of  ore  contributed  by  the 
various  regions  to  the  total  for  the  United  States  in  a  form  easily  com- 
prehensible, and  also  in  order  more  clearly  to  present  the  comparative 
development  of  the  different  districts,  the  figures  covering  the  produc- 
tion of  iron  ore  in  the  several  regions,  and  in  the  L^nited  States  as  a 
whole,  have  been  put  into  the  form  of  a  chart.  As  reliable  and  complete 
data  are  not  obtainable,  it  has  not  been  attempted  to  make  the  chart 
cover  the  years  previous  to  1880.-  As  the  changes  which  it  is  desired 
to  point  out  have  for  the  most  part  taken  place  since  1880,  the  absence 

'  Under  the  leadership  of  Thomas  A.  Edison,  a  company  has  been  organized  and  a 
large  plant  erected  for  enriching  the  lean  magnetic  ores  of  New  Jersey.  The  results 
of  this  enterprise  will  probably  disappoint  the  investors.  For  a  description  of  this 
undertaking  see  Iron  Age,  Vol.  LX,  No.  18,  p.  1,  and  McClure's  Magazine,  Novem- 
ber, 1897. 

-  For  the  census  year  1870,  the  facts  are  given  in  Appendix  III,  Table  II,  and  it  is 
also  there  explained  in  what  respect  the  figures  of  that  census  are  faulty.  The 
items  which  were  combined  to  form  totals  that  appear  in  the  chart  are  given  in 
greater  detail  in  the  same  place. 


62 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


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STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  63 

of  statistics  for  the  earlier  years  is  a  matter  of  but  little  concern.  But 
the  meagerness  of  information  concerning  the  production  of  iron  ore 
during  the  decade  beginning  with  the  year  1880  is  cause  for  regret, 
for  it  was  during  this  period  that  the  greatest  changes  o(;curred  in  the 
relative  importance  of  the  ore  regions.  It  will  be  noted  that  during 
the  lirst  ten  years  there  is  perfect  uniformity  of  movement  in  the  lines 
which  represent  the  total  production  for  the  United  States,  and  those 
for  the  Eastern  and  Southern  divisions.  These  lines  do  not  accurately 
reflect  actual  conditions — the  statistics  that  show  the  production  dur- 
ing the  years  intervening  between  1880  and  1889  are  not  obtainable. 
Such  facts  as  can  be  obtained  are  given  in  Appendix  III,  Table  II. 

That  the  importance  of  the  Lake  Superior  region  can  not  easily  be 
overestimated  is  made  clear  by  the  chart;  from  a  comparatively  unim- 
portant position  it  has,  in  the  course  of  a  decade  and  a  half,  come  to 
contribute  almost  twice  as  much  ore  as  all  the  other  parts  of  the  United 
States  combined.  In  the  census  year  1880  the  total  production  tor  the 
United  States  was  7,120,362  long  toi^s;  to  this  amount  the  lalie  region 
contributed  but  1,077,814  tons,  or  23.0  per  cent  of  the  tbtal  output. 
During  the  year  1800  10,005.449  long  tons  of  ore  were  mined  in  the 
United  States,  and  of  this  amount  10,o6(),359  tons,  or  00  per  cent,  were 
taken  from  the  ihines  of  the  lake  region.  The  bare  figures  without 
further  explanations  do  not,  however,  fully  reflect  the  importance  of 
the  northern  district,  for  Lake  Superior  ores  are  very  much  richer  in 
iron  than  the  ores  of  the  other  regions.  If  the  quality  as  well  as  the 
quantity  of  the  ore  be  taken  into  consideration,  the  lake  region  is  enti- 
tled to  even  a  more  important  position  thaji  would  be  assigned  to  it  on 
a  simple  tonnage  basis  of  comparison.  ^'y  iinUflO 

In  striking  contrast  with  the  increased  production  of  the  lake  region 
is  the  rapid  decrease  in  the  amount  contributed  by  the  great  mining- 
States  of  the  eastern  region.  During  the  census  year  1880  the  mines  of 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Ohio  yielded  4,243,372  long 
tons  of  ore,  the  total  product  of  the  United  States  being  but  7,120,362 
tons.  The  production  of  these  States  fell  off  slowly  in  the  years  follow- 
ing 1880,  but  after  1889  the  decrease  was  rapid  and  continuous  until 
1895,  when  there  vras  a  break  in  the  downward  movement.  The  share 
of  these  four  States  in  the  total  output  of  16,005,449  long  tons  for  1896 
was  but  1,450,740  tons.  Expressed  in  percentages,  there  was  raised 
from  the  mines  of  these  States  during  the  census  year  1880  59.59  per 
cent  of  the  total  product  of  the  mines  of  the  United  States,  and  in  1890 
but  9.10  per  cent — an  enormous  ialling  off'.  This  very  great  contrac- 
tion ^  of  the  product  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Ohio 
is  the  more  surprising  because  most  of  the  blast  furnaces  of  the  United 
States  are  located  within  their  boundaries. 

The  output  of  the  southern  district  has  largely  increased  during  the 
period  covered  by  the  chart,  but  the  progress  of  this  region  has  been 
much  slower  than  that  of  the  lake  division.  The  southern  district  is 
in  large  measure  isolated;  its  ores  are  not  thrown  into  direct  compe- 
tition with  the  lake  ores,  as  is  the  case  with  the  eastern  ores,  for  trans- 
portation charges  act  as  a  barrier  and  prevent  such  comjietition.    The 

'  The  ores  of  the  eastern  region  must  also  meet  the  competition  of  foreign  ores. 
There  has  been,  however,  no  large  increase  in  importations,  hence  the  decreased 
output  of  the  eastern  region  can  not  in  any  appreciable  measure  be  ascribed  to  for- 
eign competition.  During  the  past  few  years  there  has  been  a  decrease  of  importa- 
tions. It  is  therefore  very  clear  that  the  excessive  competition  of  imported  ores 
does  not  explain  the  limited  output  of  the  eastern  mines.  Beginning  with  the  year 
1872  the  importations  will  be  found  in  Appendix  III,  Table  II;  they  are  also  repre- 
sented by  the  lowest  line  of  the  chart  for  the  years  which  it  covers!! 


64  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

extent  of  the  substitution  of  lake  ores  for  eastern  ores  is  shown  by  the 
chart  (p.  62).  It  yet  remains  to  be  shown  why  the  former  ores  are  i^re- 
ferred  to  the  latter,  and  how  it  is  possible  to  carry  ores  from  the  mines 
of  Minnesota  to  the  furnaces  of  Pennsylvania  and  sell  them  at  such  a 
price  that  they  will  be  taken  in  preference  to  native  ores.  Lake  Supe- 
rior ores  are  now  transported  almost  to  the  Atlantic  Seaboard'  and 
there  sold  in  competition  with  both  native  and  foreign  ores.-  That  lake 
ores  have  qualities  which  commend  them  to  ironmasters  is  obvious. 
The  high  esteem  in  which  they  are  held  is  due  ]\nrtly  to  their  great 
richness  in  metallic  iron,  largely  to  their  freedom  from  deleterious 
ingredients,  particularly  phosphorus  and  suli)hur,  and  to  some  extent 
to  their  excellent  physical  condition  and  freedom  from  moisture. 

All  of  these  factors  weigh  in  determining  the  value  of  an  iron  ore. 
In  general  a  rich  ore  requires  less  fuel  to  smelt  it;  it  also  has  less  for- 
eign matter  to  be  tiuxed  out,  and  thus  a  smaller  amount  of  limestone 
will  suffice  for  fluxing.  If  a  rich  ore  be  used  there  is  therefore  a  three- 
fold saving:  (1)  Because  an  ore  rich  in  metallic  iron  generally  reduces 
more  readily  than  a  lean  ore:  (-)  as  less  limestone  is  necessary,  a 
smaller  amount  of  fuel  will  be  needed  to  smelt  the  flux,  and  (3)  there 
is  a  saving  of  fluxing  material  which,  in  the  case  of  a  large  establish- 
ment, amounts  to  a  considerable  sum  in  the  course  of  a  year.  With 
rich  ores,  as  less  flux  and  fuel  are  required,  the  labor  cost  of  handling 
the  raw  materials  is  smaller,  and  as  less  cinder  is  made,  the  expense 
of  providing  space  for  this  cinder  and  means  for  handling  it  is  con- 
sequently reduced.  The  richer  ores,  together  with  the  proper  quan- 
tities of  fuel  and  tlux,  occupy  less  space  in  the  blast  furnace  than  the 
leaner  ores  combined  with  the  fuel  and  flux  required  to  reduce  them, 
and  therefore  generally  permit  of  more  rai)id  "  driving."  In  the  case  of 
the  richer  ores  there  is,  therefore,  a  smaller  cost  per  ton  of  product, 
for  interest  on  the  plant,  management,  and  other  fixed  charges,  because 
these  expenses  are  distributed  over  a  greater  tonnage  than  would  be 
the  case  if  lean  ores  were  used. 

Other  things  being  equal,  the  snjaller  the  amount  of  phosphorus  sul- 
phur and  titanic  acid  and  other  undesirable  substances  ■  which  the  ore 
contains,  the  greater  will  be  its  value.  If  an  ore  contains  more  than 
one  part  phosphorus^  to  every  one  thousand  parts  metallic  iron,  it  is 
unfit  for  the  manufacture  of  steel  by  what  is  now  the  cheapest  method — 

'The  blast  furnaces  in  New  Jersey  aud  eastern  Pennsylvania  receive  a  portion  of 
their  supply  of  ore  from  the  Lake  Superior  region.  (See  Eleventh  Census :  Mineral 
Industries,  p.  26;  and  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  Various  Parts  of  the  World, 
p.  188.) 

-The  ability  of  foreign  ores  to  compete  is  of  course  aiiected  by  the  import  duties 
paid.  Previous  to  August  28,  1894,  the  duty  was  75  cents  per  ton,  and  under  the 
tariff  act  of  1894  it  was  40  cents ;  in  the  tariff  act  of  1897  the  rate  appears  unchanged. 

3  "As  won  from  the  earth  iron  ores  carry  in  greater  or  less  proportions  other  ele- 
ments, such  as  phosphorus,  sulphur,  manganese,  titanium,  chromium,  copper,  etc., 
which  affect  their  value  for  specific  uses,  as  do  also  the  amounts  of  silica,  lime, 
alumina,  magnesia,  etc. ;  these  latter,  however,  generally  influence  the  percentage 
of  metal  obtainable  from  the  ore,  while  the  first  named,  as  a  rule,  are  more  likely  to 
affect  its  quality."  (John  Birkinbine,  The  Manufacture  of  Pig  Iron  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, p.  2.) 

It  should  not  be  understood  that  these  substances  are  always  injurious,  for  such  is 
not  the  case.  For  instance,  if  the  iron  produced  is  to  be  used  for' foundry  purposes, 
silica  is  not  harmful  if  great  strength  is  not  desired;  in  fact,  quite  the  contrary  is 
true,  for  the  silica  gives  the  iron  greater  fluidity,  thus  making  it  a  better  casting 
iron. 

■»  There  is  now  a  tendency  to  insist  on  a  still  lower  percentage  of  phosphorus:  late 
specifications  for  steel  rails  do  not  accept  0.1  of  1  per  cent  x'hosphoriis,  but  demand 
0.085  of  1  per  cent  phosphorus.  Specifications  for  structural  steel  also  insist  upon 
less  phosphorus  than  formerly. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKK    COMMERCE.  65 

the  original  or  acid  Bessemer  ])rocess.  This  is  a  very  damaging-  dis- 
qualification, for  at  present  the  owners  of  the  Bessemer  steel  works  are 
the  largest  purchasers '  of  iron  ore,  and  pay  the  highest  prices. 

Yet  another  important  condition  is  to  be  added;  not  only  must  the 
amount  of  phosphorns  in  tlie  ore  be  small,  but  it  must  be  uniformly 
distributed;  otherwise,  m  case  the  Bessemer  converter  be  used,  the 
steel  manufactured  from  the  ore  will  vary  in  quality  with  every  dis- 
charge of  the  blast  fnrnace.^  This  is  the  case,  because  practically  all 
of  the  phosphorus  in  the  ore  goes  into  the  pig  iron,  and  is  not  removed 
from  it  by  the  ordinary  Bessemer  converter.  To  make  the  matter  per- 
fectly clear  an  illustration  may  be  given.  Snppose  that  the  quantity 
of  phosphorus  in  the  ore  as  it  comes  from  tlie  mine  shows  rather  large 
variations,  but  that  the  average  of  phosphorus  falls  below  the  Bessemer 
limit.  Also  suppose  that  the  charges  of  the  furnace  to  which  the  ore 
is  brought  vary  in  the  amount  of  phos})horus  they  (contain,  some  being 
very  low  and  others  very  high  in  phosphorus  content.  Such  being  the 
case,  the  steel  produced  from  the  iron  resulting  from  the  charges  very 
low  in  phosphorus  will  contain  but  little  of  this  element,  the  steel  from 
the  charges  high  in  phos])horus  will  contain  a  very  large  amount,  and 
it  will,  therefore,  be  unlit  for  the  higher  uses  to  which  the  steel  is  put. 
This  difficulty  can,  in  a  measure,  be  obviated  by  frequently  testing  the 
ore  and  then  mixing  it  in  proper  proportions,  but  this  involves  expense. 

Favorable  physical  texture  and  freedom  trom  moisture,  the  two  re- 
maining characteristics  of  first-class  ore,  are  also  important  considera- 
tions. If  ore  be  ver}"  hard  and  dense,  and  if  it  be  introduced  in  large 
masses,  it  is  not  readily  penetrated  by  the  reducing  gases  of  the  fur- 
nace. Hard  ores,  therefore,  require  more  fuel  and  care  to  smelt  them. 
To  break  hard  ores  with  a  sledge,  as  was  formerly  done,  was  very 
slow  and  heavy  Avork.  Manual  labor  has  now  been  sui^erseded  by  heavy 
machines,  which  crush  the  ore  at  slight  expense,  and  thus  the  objections 
that  once  weighed  against  the  hard  ores  have  lost  much  of  their  force. 
Finely  divided  ores  are  also  difficult  to  reduce.  They  pack  and  form 
such  impenetrable  masses  in  the  furnace  that  they  are  acted  upon  very 
slowly  by  the  gases.  The  very  finely  comminuted  ores  are  also  blown 
out  of  the  fnrnaces  in  large  quantities  by  the  strong  blasts  that  are 
now  used,  and  in  some  cases  these  ores  have  caused  serious  explosions. 
Moisture  is  objectionable  for  two  reasons:  It  increases  the  weight  of 
the  ore  and  therefore  the  freight,  and  in  general  there  is  at  every  point 

'The  extent  and  growing  importance  of  the  demand  for  Bessemer  ores  is  indicated 
by  the  following  percentages,  which  give  the  proportion  of  Bessemer  pig  iron  to  the 
total  pig-iron  prodnct  of  the  United  States: 

Per  cent.  !  Per  oeut.  i  Per  ceut. 

1889 41.4  1892 48.  Ti  '  1895 59.5 

1890 44.5  1898 50.9  i  1896 53.9 

1891 41.9  I  1894 57.2  | 

"As  some  iron  ores  not  within  the  Bessemer  limit  of  phosphorus  were  used  in 
admixture  with  low  phosphorns  ores  in  the  production  of  IJessemer  -pig  iron,  and  as 
many  of  the  ores  used  for  producing  foundry  and  mill  irons  carry  lower  percentages 
of  metal  than  those  smelted  in  the  production  of  Bessemer  pig  iron,  the  proportion 
of  Bessemer  ore  will  not  bo  so  great  as  that  shown  for  the  pig  metal,  but  the  i)er- 
centages  are  .sufficiently  close  to  indicate  the  growing  increase  in  the  employment 
of  such  material."     (John  Birkinbine,  Production  of  Iron  Ores  iu  1895,  p.  8.) 

The  i)ercentage  for  1896  was  deduced  from  the  statistics  of  production  as  given 
iu  the  Bulletin  of  American  Iron  and  Steel  Association,  Vol.  XXXI,  No.  3,  p.  21. 

-For  the  information  of  those  who  are  unacquainted  with  tlie  manufacture  of  steel 
it  may  be  stated  that  the  iron  ore  is  reduced  to  met;il  in  the  blast  furnace,  and  then 
placed  in  the  Bessemer  converter  and  changed  to  steel. 

H.  Doc.  277 5 


66  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

a  iHoiitless  expenditure  of  energy  in  handling  it.  It  also  requires  heat 
to  expel  it  from  the  blast  furnace,  which  means  an  increasetl  consump- 
tion of  fuel. 

As  was  stated  above,  the  lake  ores  find  favor  with  ironmasters, 
because  they  possess  in  a  very  high  degree  the  four  essential  (lualities 
of  a  good  iron  ore.  That  a  definite  conception  of  the  relative  standing 
of  the  ores  of  the  various  districts  may  be  formed,  the  results  of  the 
be^it  analyses  we  have  will  be  submitted.  The  results  of  the  very 
numerous  analyses  made  by  Prof.  IJaphael  Pumpelly  of  the  ores  mined 
in  the  census  year  1880  will  first  be  given.  In  some  localities  the  char- 
acter of  the  ore  mined  has  changed  considerably  since  his  examina- 
tions were  made.  For  these  localities  the  necessary  corrections  will  be 
made  so  as  to  show  existing  conditions.  The  following  is  a  i)ortiou  of 
Professor  Pumpelly's  table  sliowing  the  average  per  cent  of  metallic 
iron  in  the  ore  mined  during  the  census  year  1880:  ' 

Eastern  region : 

New  York 53.  99 

Ntw  Jersey 53.  73 

Pennsylvania 15. 28 

Ohio.! 38.62 

Southern  region : 

Alabama 50.  67 

Tennessee 50.  59 

Georgia  51. 37 

Lake  Sujierior  region  : 

Michigan 59.57 

Minnesota (-) 

Wisconsin ^'52. 56 

There  has  been  no  great  change  in  the  iron  contents  of  the  ores  mined 
in  the  eastern  region,  yet  some  of  the  best  deposits  have  been  exhausted. 
Hence,  if  a  test  were  now  made,  the  ores  of  this  district  would  not 
appear  in  so  favorable  a  light  as  they  did  in  1880.  It  is  being  found 
necessary  to  an  increasing  extent  to  improve  ores  by  washing,  jigging,^ 
and  by  the  use  of  magnetic  separators. 

There  has  been  even  a  greater  change  since  1880  in  the  quality  of  the 
Southern  ores.  The  average  yield  of  the  ores  used  by  the  blast  furnaces 
of  Alabama  during  the  last  census  year  was  44.4  per  cent.''  The  Clinton 
fossil  ores  (red  hematite),  which  now  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  ore 
rained  in  this  district,  yield  on  an  average  from  42  to  47  per  cent  of 
metallic  iron.  The  Southern  brown  hematites  are  not  so  good  as  the 
Clinton  ores;  if  properly  washed,  however,  they  yield  from  45  to  50 
per  cent  of  iron." 

The  lake  ores  are  somewhat  better  in  quality  than  those  mined  in 
1880.  In  the  opinion  of  David  T.  Day,  special  agent  on  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  United  States  for  the  Eleventh  Census,  the  ores  which 
were  .shipped  to  distant  furnaces  contained  on  the  average  GO  per  cent 
of  metallic  iron.  The  ores  which  were  consumed  in  furnaces  near  at 
band  averaged  58  per  cent  of  iron;  but  as  these  were  relatively  unim- 
portant, the  average  of  GO  per  cent  was  not  much  reduced.    Since  Mr. 

1  Tenth  Census :  Mining  Industries,  p.  19.  The  census  year  began  June  1, 1879,  and 
ended  May  31,  1880. 

~  Minnesota  did  not  become  a  producer  of  iron  ore  until  the  year  1884. 

^Wisconsin's  uiiuiug  operations  were  wholly  carried  on  in  a  different  part  of  the 
State  from  where  they  now  are,  so  that  the  tigures  for  this  State  are  quite  mean- 
ingless. 

*  In  jigging,  the  crushed  ore  is  agitated  in  a  jigger,  water  being  introduced  for  the 
removal  from  the  ore  of  sand,  clay,  and  earthy  matter. 

^  Eleventh  Census :  Mineral  Industries,  p.  11. 

'The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  ^'arious  Parts  of  the  World,  p.  23. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  67 

Day  made  bis  report  the  output  of  the  A^ermiliou  rauge  has  beeu  ai)pre- 
ciably  iucreased,  and  the  Mesabi  has  suddenly  sprun.i;-  into  prouiiueuce 
as  a  producer  of  iron  ore.  The  latter  now  holds  tirst  place  among  the 
ranges.  As  the  ores  which  are  shipjied  from  these  ranges  are  richer  in 
iron  than  those  of  the  older  ranges,  the  census  figures  are  now,  perhaps, 
a  trifle  too  low.  Mr.  Franklin  H.  Head,  an  authority  on  the  ores  of 
the  lake  district,  sujjports  me  on  this  point.  In  a  recent  letter  he  says: 
"  I  think  a  fair  average  of  the  ores  shipped  would  yield  in  the  furnace 
62  tons  of  iron  to  each  100  tons  of  ore." 

Unfortunately,  it  is  impossible  to  give  equally  exact  information  cou- 
ceruing  the  impurities  in  the  ores  of  the  several  districts  as  has  been 
given  of  the  iron  contents.  Perhaps  less  than  one  fourth  of  the  ore  of 
the  Eastern  district  can  be  classed  as  Bessemer;  much  of  it  contains 
large  amounts  of  sulphur,  and  some  of  it  carries  a  small  amount  of 
copper,  and  some  of  it  has  considerable  qnantities  of  titanium.  The 
ore  of  the  great  Cornwall  deposits  contains  on  the  average  about  2.5 
per  cent  of  sulphur,  and  requires  preliminary  roasting  in  kilns  to  drive 
off  a  portion  of  this  and  an  excess  of  lime  in  the  blast  furnace  to  elimi- 
nate the  balance.  About  one-half  of  the  sulphur  is  removed  by  the 
roasting,  which  costs  about  20  cents  per  ton  for  fuel  and  handling. 
This  ore  also  contains  a  small  amount  of  copper,  but  still  large  enough 
to  be  troublesome  in  some  subsequent  metallurgical  processes.  Many 
of  the  ores  of  jSTew  York  contain  titanium.  In  reducing  these  ores, 
greater  care  must  be  exercised  in  fluxing.  The  furnace  must  also  be 
run  under  special  conditions  of  temperature  and  pressure  of  blast, 
otherwise  titanium  deposits  will  form  in  the  furnace.  This  special  con- 
dition of  lower  heat,  considered  more  favorable  to  the  smelting  of  these 
ores,  requires  more  fuel.  These  disadvantages  have  prejudiced  furnace 
managers  against  ores  containing  titanium. 

In  many  cases  the  physical  condition  of  the  eastern  ores  is  against 
them.  The  magnetites  of  New  York  and  New  -Jersey  are  very  refrac- 
tory: they  are  not  easily  penetrated  by  the  reducing  gases  of  the  fur- 
nace, because  of  their  great  density.  Furnace  managers  assert  that 
they  require  more  fuel  and  care  to  smelt  them,  and  therefore,  other 
things  being  equal,  they  prefer  the  softer  hematites  of  the  lake  region. 
It  is  no  longer  found  profitable  to  mine  carbonate  ores,  for  they  must 
be  roasted  to  drive  off  <'arbouic  acid  before  they  can  be  charged  into 
the  furnace.  The  cost  of  mining  is  also  excessive,  as  they  generally 
occur  in  thin  seams  or  in  scattered  dej^osits. 

The  southern  ores  are  non-Bessemer  in  quality;  they  are  either  too 
high  in  phosphorus,  or  else  this  element  is  very  unequally  distributed. 
An  exception  to  this  statement  is  the  Cranberry  ore  of  western  North 
Carolina.  Other  ores  of  the  same  general  characteristics  are  thought 
to  exist  in  the  same  part  of  the  State  and  in  Boan  Mountain,  of  eastern 
Tennessee,  and  possibly  in  the  northwestern  part  of  South  Carolina. 
With  these  exceptions  no  extensive  deposits  of  low-phosphorus  ores 
are  known  in  any  southern  State.  The  southern  ores  generally  contain 
considerable  quantities  of  sulphur,  and  the  percentage  of  silica  and 
lime  varies  greatlj'. 

Most  of  the  ores  of  the  lake  region  are  low  in  phosphorus,  and  thus 
the  larger  portion  of  them  is  of  Bessemer  quality.  The  percentage  of 
Bessemer  ores  for  the  whole  lake  region  is  depressed  by  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  ^lenominee  range,  which  produces  mainly  non-Bessemer 
ores.  The  lake  ores  are  very  free  from  sulphur,  and  generally  contain 
no  titanic  acid.  Furnace  managers  have  experienced  difBculty  with 
Mesabi  ores  because  of  their  flnelv  comminuted  state;  but  this  trouble 


68 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


may  be  considered  as  temporary  in  character,  for  the  blaot-furnace 
managers  may  be  relied  upon  to  modify  their  furnaces  and  methods  in 
such  a  manner  as  will  enable  them  to  use  the  large  and  v^aluable 
deposits  of  this  range.  However,  it  must  be  said  that,  after  four  years 
of  experimentation,  in  which  large  sums  of  money  have  been  spent, 
furnace  masters  are  unable  to  use  more  than  about  45  per  cent  of  Mesabi 
ore  in  their  principal  mixtures.  Some  of  the  lake  ores  carry  considerable 
moisture,  and  the  average  amount  of  water  in  the  ores  mined  in  the 
lake  region  is  greater  than  in  the  ores  of  the  eastern  district  and  about 
equal  to  that  in  the  ores  of  the  southern  region.' 

It  has  been  seen  to  what  extent  the  lake  ores  have  supplanted  the 
eastern  ores.  I  have  also  shown  why  the  lake  ores  are  preferred  by 
the  ironmasters  of  the  East  to  the  ores  mined  nearer  to  their  furnaces. 
Among  the  reasons  for  this  preference  are  also  found  the  facts  which 
make  it  desirable  to  move  the  ore.  There  then  remains  to  explain  the 
peculiar  combination  of  conditions  which  renders  it  i)ossible  to  mine 
and  transport  these  ores  almost  half  way  across  the  continent  and  yet 
sell  them  at  such  prices  that  they  are  taken  in  preference  to  the  native 
ores. 

It  is  obvious  that  in  order  to  be  available  the  ore  must  be  found  in 
favorable  conditions;  it  usually  occurs  in  large  deposits  rather  than 
in  narrow  and  irregular  veins  of  varying  dei)th.  As  a  result  it  can  be 
more  cheaply  mined,  for  labor-saving  machinery  can  be  used',  and  there 
is  also  much  less  waste  material  to  be  handled.  The  great  extent  of  the 
deposits  permits  large  production  and  its  incidental  economies.  The 
steam  shovel  is  an  example  in  point;  it  is  employed  to  dig  and  load 
ore  from  open  cuts  and  to  load  ore  on  cars  from  stock  piles.  During 
one  day  in  the  summer  of  1896  three  steam  shovels,  working  fourteen 
hours  each,  dug  and  raised  from  the  natural  bed  of  the  Oliver  mine  of 
the  Mesabi  range  1(),7(K)  gross  tons  or  428  cars  of  ore.  Twenty  five- ton 
ore  cars  have  been  continuously  loaded  from  the  ore  bed  at  the  rate  of 
two  and  one-half  minutes  per  car;  the  largest  shovel'  has  loaded  as 
much  as  5,825  tons,  or  233  cars  in  a  day  of  10  hours. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  average  cost  of  loading  the  ore  into  cars  from 
the  bed  of  this  mine  is  considerably  less  than  five  cents  per  ton.  Before 
the  shovel  could  be  put  to  work  on  the  ore  it  was  necessary  to  remove 
a  considerable  amount  of  drift;  but  this  expense,  if  averaged  on  all  the 

1  An  accurate  conception  of  the  character  of  some  of  the  ores  of  the  Lake  Superior 
region  can  be  obtained  from  the  subjoined  table,  which  contains  complete  analyses 
of  cargo  samples  of  grades  of  ore  taken  from  some  of  the  largest  producing  mines  of 
this  region : 

[The  Iron  Mines  of  Minnesota,  prepared  for  the  seventy-third  meeting  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Mining  Engineers.] 


Xame  of  mine. 

Range. 

Iron.      SQica. 

Phos- 
phor- 
us. 

Man- 
ga- 
nese. 

Sul- 
phur. 

Alum. 

Lime. 

Mag. 

ne- 

'  slum. 

Moist- 
ure. 

Minnesota 

Chandler 

Vermilion  .... 
do  .   .. 

67.74        1.55 
64.70         4.26 
65.48         3.17 
63.31  '      4.53 

fi?;  on         a  /in 

0. 048 
.036 
.034 
.053 

inn 

None. 
0.13 
.49 

None. 
Trace: 
0.006 

0.90 
1.37 
1.43 
2.10 

2.10 
.48 
1  74 

0.27 
.33 
.56 

.20 

.26 
1.10 
.19 

0.12 
.10 
.20 
.047 

.024 
1.35 
.13 

2.00 
5  79 

Burt 

Mesabi 

..   ..do  .... 

8  97 

Oliver 

Lake    Superior 
No  1 

.23  1     .013 
.19       .003 
.34  1      017 

1  15 

Pewabic 

Jforrie 

Menominee...      64.36         3.85       .009 
Gogebic                fi.'?  is        .^  fi9  !      nil 

6.46 
9  86 

2 This  shovel  is  mounted  on  extra  heavy  railroad  car  trucks  of  standard  gauge. 
It  weighs  90  tons,  has  hoisting  engines  of  200  horsepower,  and  is  equipped  with  a 
dipper  having  a  capacity  of  24  cubic  yards,  and  will  load  five  or  six  tons  at  each 
swing. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKP:    COMMERCE.  69 

ore  wliicli  can  be  secured  from  the  mine,  would  not  exceed  5  cents  per 
ton,  and  in  all  probability  would  be  much  less.  The  cost  of  strij^ping 
and  of  raising-  the  ore  i)ractically  represents  the  cost  of  mining  this 
deposit,  and  these  items  combined  aggregate  less  than  10  cents  per 
gross  ton.^ 

{Specialized  transportation  facilities  have  been  a  most  important  fac- 
tor in  enabling  the  ore  of  the  Lake  Superior  region  to  compete  at  dis- 
tant ]Joints.  Several  ore  roads '  equipped  with  cars  designed  for  the 
ore  traflic  have  been  constructed.'  and  expensive  terminals  have  been 
built.  At  the  shipping  ports  these  consist  of  docks  built  as  high  as  oTf 
feet  above  the  water,  and  so  constructed  that  the  ore  trains  can  be  run 
out  upon.them.^  The  docks  are  equipped  with  pockets  having  a  capac- 
ity of  from  65  to  18<i  tons,  into  which  the  ore  is  unloaded  from  the  cars 
by  means  of  drop  bottoms.  From  the  i)ockets  of  the  dock  the  ore  falls 
through  iron  chutes  into  the  holds  of  the  vessels,  which  are  run  up 
alongside  of  the  dock. 

By  these  appliances  handling  of  the  ore  is  avoided  from  the  time  the 
ore  leaves  the  mines  until  it  reaches  the  receiving  port,  where  it  is 
shoveled  into  buckets  lowered  into  the  ship's  hold.  Very  little  manual 
labor  is  required  in  these  operations.  It  is  necessary  to  start  the  ore 
by  jamming  it  with  crowbars  at  the  opening  of  the  pocket  into  the 
chute,  and  it  is  also  necessary  to  push  it  occasionally  with  poles,  but 
upon  the  whole  the  ore  moves  down  by  force  of  gravity  alone.  In  the 
hold  of  the  vessel  the  ore  is  generally  trimmed.  For  this  there  is 
charged  2i  cents  per  gross  ton. 

The  ore-receiving  docks  at  the  lower  lake  ports  are  e(pially  well  fitted 
for  the  work  they  perform.  They  are  eipiipped  with  machinery  well 
adapted  to  the  rapid  removal  of  the  ore  from  the  holds  of  the  vessels  at 
a  very  small  cost.  The  outlay  for  shoveling  the  ore  into  buckets,  which 
are  lowered  into  the  holds  of  vessels,  is  the  chief  item.  It  is  now  9  cents 
per  long  ton,  being  done  by  manual  labor.  In  addition  to  this  there  is 
the  dock  charge  of  5  cents,  which  makes  the  total  expense  of  discharg- 
ing ore  14  cents  per  gross  ton.  With  the  improved  equipment  of  some 
of  the  docks,  the  ore  in  buckets  is  raised  from  the  hold,  carried  back 
350  feet  on  the  dock,  and  dumi)ed  at  a  total  cost  (including  labor,  depre- 
ciation of  plant,  interest,  and  fuel)  of  from  1  to  1^  cents  per  ton.  Most 
of  the  ore,  instead  of  being  dumped  on  the  stock  pile,  is  now  loaded 


1  From  the  Iron  Age,  Vol.  LVIII,  No.  16,  p.  725. 

-The  iron-ore  mines  of  each  of  the  five  ranges  constituting  the  lake  region  are  situ- 
ated some  distance  from  the  lakes.  The  nearest  mines  of  the  Marquette  range  are  12 
miles  from  a  shipping  port;  none  of  the  mines  of  the  Menominee  range  are  less  than 
41  miles  from  a  shipping  port.  The  Gogebic  range  is  about  10  miles  from  the  lake, 
but  the  nearest  shi])ping  point  is  3i>  miles  distant.  The  mines  of  the  Minnesota 
ranges  are  still  farther  removed  from  the  lake,  the  Tower  Mines  of  the  Vermilion 
range  being  69  miles  from  the  shipping  ])ort  of  Two  Harbors,  and  those  at  Ely  about 
20  miles  farther  removed.  The  ores  of  the  Mesabi  are  carried  about  the  same  dis- 
tances as  those  of  the  Vermilion  range.  Two  Harbors  and  Duluth,  Minn.,  and  Suj)e- 
rior,  Wis.,  are  the  shipping  ports  of  this  range. 

■'For  the  transportation  of  the  ores  of  Minnesota,  over  400  miles  of  standard-gauge 
railroad  have  been  constructed  through  what  was  a  trackless  wilderness  ten  years 
ago.  For  a  statement  of  the  equipment  of  these  railroads,  see  Appendix  III,  Table 
VIII.  In  1896  the  ore  roads  of  the  old  ranges  were  increased  in  uumlter  by  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Lake  Superior  and  Ishpeming  Railway.  The  dock  of  this  company  is 
at  Presque  Isle,  3  miles  north  of  Marquette  Harbor  proper.  During  1897  this  road 
hauled  about  1,100,000  tons  of  ore. 

••There  are  now  on  Lakes  Michigan  and  Superior  21  of  these  docks,  having  a  total 
of  4,43s  pockets,  with  a  combined  storage  capacity  of  617,250  gross  tons,  erected  at  a 
cost  of  about  $6,800,000.  They  are  located  as  follows :  5  at  Two  Harbors,  2  at  Duluth. 
1  at  Superior,  3  at  Ashland,  4  at  Marquette,  5  at  Escanaba,  and  1  at  Gladstone.  For 
particulars  about  these  docks,  see  Appendix  III,  Table  VII. 


70  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

directly  info  cars  and  carried  by  railroad  to  furnaces  located  from  GO  to 
475  miles  from  Lake  Erie  ports. 

Thus  far  attention  has  been  directed  merely  to  the  labor  which  is 
economized  by  the  improved  docks  that  have  been  constructed.  But 
these  docks  are  also  partially  responsible  for  the  very  low  transporta- 
tion charges  that  prevail.  Instead  of  losing-  days  in  loading  and 
unloading,  as  was  once  the  case,  but  a  few  hours  are  now  lost.  Vessels 
lose  almost  no  time  at  all  at  the  docks;  it  is  almost  literally  true  that 
they  are  constantly  going  or  coming.  With  the  finely  comminuted  ores 
of  the  Mesabi  range,  which  do  not  run  so  rapidly  from  the  pocket  down 
the  chutes  as  the  hard  and  lumpy  ores,  vessels  can  be  loaded  in  seventy 
minutes  with  l*,500  tons  of  ore.' 

At  Two  Harbors  3,02S  tons  of  hard  ore  were  loaded  in  seventy 
minutes;  vessels  frequently  load  and  depart  with  a  cargo  of  .'},5()0  to 
4,000  tons  within  two  hours  of  the  tinu'  they  reach  port.  There  is  also 
great  expedition  in  the  unloading  of  vessels.  With  the  a])pliances 
possessed  by  the  best  docks,  the  largest  vessels  have  been  unloaded  in 
twelve  to  fourteen  hours.- 

At  the  new  dock  at  Conneaut,  which  is  to  be  operated  in  connection 
with  the  Bessemer  Steamship  Company's  fleet  and  the  Pittsburg,  Bes- 
semer and  Lake  Erie  Bailroad,  it  is  confidently  expected  the  largest 
vess(!ls.will  be  unloaded  regularly  in  ten  hours,  and  it  is  hoped  that  iu 
all  but  special  cases  the  time  will  be  reduced  to  seven  hours.  The  new 
plant  is  eiiuipped  with  12  legs,  one  for  each  hatch  of  the  vessel.  When 
all  the  legs  are  at  work,  it  is  hoi)ed  the  capacity  of  the  plant  will  be 
between  !M)0  and  1,000  tons  per  lionr;  and  if  this  speed  is  attained  ves- 
sels of  the  6,000-ton  type  can  be  unloaded  in  less  than  seven  hours.  It 
is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  direct  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  vessel's 
daily  expenses  are  almost  as  large  while  in  port  as  during  passage,  and 
therefore  that  dispatch  in  loading  and  uidoading  means  a  large  saving. 
Of  course,  there  is  i^ractically  no  expense  for  fuel  while  the  vessel  is  iu 
port,  but  this  is  the  only  item  of  importance  which  is  materially  reduced, 
and  it  is  not  of  so  great  importance  as  is  usually  imagined — this  item, 
e.  g.,  being  only  28  per  cent  of  the  total  cost  of  running  the  ships  of 
the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company.'  It  would  be  less 
for  lake  vessels. 

Xot  only  has  the  volume  of  the  business  in  iron  ores  warranted  the 
expenditure  of  large  sums  on  terminal  facilities,  but  also  the  expendi- 
ture of  even  larger  amounts  on  the  instruments  of  trans])ortation.  Ves- 
sels of  great  size  and  of  special  design  have  been  constructed  for  this 
trade.  The  entire  storage  space  of  the  new  ships  is  usually  divided  by 
five  bulkheads  into  four  large  holds  extending  from  the  water  bottom 
to  the  shelter  deck.     This  permits  economical  handling  and  trimming 

'The dispatch  with  which  vessels  are  now  loaded  will,  perhaps,  be  better  appreci- 
ated if  comparison  is  made  with  the  crude  methods  which  once  prevailed.  In  the 
early  days  on  the  Marquette  ran o;e  the  ore  was  conveyed  from  the  mines  in  wagons 
and  dumjjed  on  a  dock.  From  the  dock  the  ore  w^as  transferred  to  the  ship  by  the 
ship's  crew.  After  a  time  a  traniroad  wiis  built  on  which  the  cars  were  drawn  out 
upon  the  dock  by  mules,  where  the  ore  was  dumped  upon  an  apron,  from  which  it 
could  easily  be  loaded  onto  the  ship.  In  this  apron  we  have  the  rudimentary  pocket. 
It  was  not  long  after  the  construction  of  this  road  that  the  pockets,  which  are  now 
such  an  important  adjunct  of  the  docks,  made  their  appearance  in  an  experimental 
way.  Witli  the  constrmtion  of  the  railroad  from  the  mines  of  the  Marquette  range 
to  the  shipping  port  of  the  same  name  the  system  of  handling  ore  which  now  obtains 
was  perfected. 

^  This  represents  a  vast  improvement  over  the  primitive  methods  which  were  in 
vogue  until  twelve  or  thirteen  years  ago.  Formerly  the  ore  was  lifted  from  the  hold 
in  buckets  by  horse  power,  dumped  into  wheelbarrows,  wheeled  back  on  the  dock, 
and  emptied  on  the  stock  pile. 

'Report  of  Commissioner  of  Navigation,  1894,  p.  25. 


STATISTICS    OP    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


71 


of  cargo.  The  strength  usiuvll}- obtained  by  transverse  bulkheads  is, 
in  the  main,  secured  by  deck  beams,  extra  shell  plating,  stanchions, 
and  intercostals.  Several  of  the  iron  ore  companies  have  brii^t  fleets 
adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  ore  business.  The  Bessemer^team- 
ship  Company  has  a  fleet  of  nine  large  steamers  and  nine  bargesv  all  of 
recent  design  and  construction.  These  vessels  have  an  aggregate 
gross  tonnage  of  58,5-5  tons  and  a  total  net  registered  tonnag^  of 
48,020  tons,  and  have  an  actual  carrying  capacity  of  71),400  gross  t\us 
on  a  mean  draft  of  16  feet  and  10  inches.  The  Minnesota  Steamship 
Company  has  a  lleet  capable  of  carrying  52,450  gross  tons  per  trip  qu 
a  draft  of  17  feet.^ 

It  was  estimated  that  the  floating  equipment  on  the  Great  Lak^s 
January  1,  1896,  employed  primarily  in  the  transportation  of  ore,  had 
a  value  of  $46,680,207,-  and  it  has  since  been  largely  increased. 

The  ores  of  the  Lake  Superior  region  have  (lualities  that  render  them 
very  valuable  to  the  iron  masters  of  the  iron  and  steel  producing  districts 
of  the  Eastern  States,  and  therefore  it  bei-omes  desirable  to  move  them. 
It  is  the  perfection  of  the  transportation  facilities  that  renders  this 
possible.  Effective  terminal  facilities,  together  with  efficient  instru- 
ments of  carriage,  have  made  possible  the  very  low  freight  rates  that 
have  prevailed  and  without  which  the  ore  could  not  be  moved.  During 
the  navigation  season  of  1806  large  quantities  of  ore  were  carried  from 
the  head  of  Lake  Superior  to  the  lower  lake  ports,  a  distance  of  889 
statute  miles, '  for  60  cents  per  gross  ton,  which  is  equivalent  to  a  ton- 
mile  charge  of  but  0.67  of  a  mill.^  This  rate,  although  very  low,  was 
much  reduced  during  the  summer  of  1897,  the  rate  being  but  50  cents 
for  some  weeks.     This  rate  is  equal  to  but  0.56  of  a  niill. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  a  ton  mile  charge  of  3  mills  on  railroads 
is  regarded  as  something  exceptional,  it  will  be  realized  how  very  low 
the  lake  rates  on  iron  ore  are.  Mr.  Carnegie  states  that  the  directors 
of  the  new  mineral  road  between  Conneaut,  on  Lake  Erie,  and  Pittsburg 
hope  to  reduce  the  cost  of  hauling  ore  and  coal  below  3  mills  per  ton.'^ 
If  lake  rates  were  as  high  as  rail  rates  the  ore  of  Minnesota  could  not 
be  moved.     When  it  is  known  that  the  price  of  red  hematites  of  Besse- 

iln  the  subjoined  table  the  e<iuipment  of  several  of 
fonnd : 


the  largest  ore  fleets  may  be 


Xaine  of  tieet. 


Is;  et  res-  Actual  jip,,„ 
isteied  I  carrying  ^ j;'^" 
tonuage.  ,  capacity.        '     " 


ishipCo. 


25.  080 
2J.  540 


Our  M.MiiM  r  (liuilcHue) 

Two  hai-Hi-s  (liuilding) 

Miiuii-sdta  .Steaiiisliip  Co. : 

Nine  st.-a niers 

Five  b:irL;('s 

OuesclKMHM.T  (Innli'.mjr) 

Cleveland  Clilts  Imn  (  e. ; 

Seveu  .■;t<Mii;rrs 

Two  scliodiieis.    .  _ 

One  steamer  (ImililinL:  i    

Lake  Superior  Imi]  1,1. :  si-,   sttamers 

Menominee  Trau.-^it  Co.:    I'i\i- steamers 

^lutnal  Tran.sportatioii  Co.:  Four  steamers. 


19,  7^5 
13.  629 


7,329 
1,554 


8,750 
9,376 
»,344 


rt. 

Tn. 

41.700 

16 

10 

37,  700 

16 

10 

6,6?5 

16 

10 

14,  000 

16 

10 

30,  250 

;,7 

0 

22,  200 

17 

a 

6,000 

18,  750 
3,175 
5,750 
Ki.  116 
15.(^25 
13.747 


16  10 
16  10 

16  10 


-  Blue  Book  of  Americau  Shipping  (1896),  p.  205. 

'This  is  the  distanre  given  in  Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part  II, 
p.  291,  from  Dnluth  to  Ashtabula,  the  chief  receiviug  port  of  Lake  Erie. 

'Out  of  this  very  low  rate  the  ve.ssels  paid  2i  to  3  cents  for  trimming  and  16  cents 
per  ton  for  discharging  cargoes.     Freight  rates  and  cliarge.s  are  for  gross  tons. 

^Iron  Age,  Vol.  LVIII,  No.  U,  p.  622. 


72 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


niei'  quality  iu  Clevelaud  during  tlie  early  spriug  of  1895  was  but  $2.80,' 
and  that  tlie  price  of  this  ore  varied  from  $4  to  $4.2;")-'  in  the  summer 
and  autumn  of  1890,  and  in  1S97  fell  below  1895  prices,''  it  will  be  under- 
stood how  absolutely  important  it  is  that  freight  rates  should  be  low. 
If  tlie  ton  mile  rate  were  3  mills— which  is  regarded  as  exceptionally 
low  on  railroads — the  freight  charge  for  transporting  ore  from  Duluth 
to  Cleveland  would  be  "^2.54 — a  rate  higher  than  the  traftic  could  bear. 
In  view  of  the  facts  that  Lave  been  presented  it  ought  not  to  be  diffi- 
cult to  understand  why  the  ores  of  the  Lake  Superior  region  are  sup- 
planting the  ores  of  the  eastern  region.  This  substitution  has  been 
going  on  rapidly,  and  should  the  demand  for  steel  continue  to  increase 
at  the  expense  of  that  for  iron,  this  sul)stituti()n^  will  persist  unless 
methods  be  discovered  by  which  good  steel  can  be  made  cheaply  from 
ores  that  can  not  now  be  used  to  advantage. 


Appendix  III. 


TA15LES    KELATIXG    TO    LAKE  TKANSPi  )RrATIOX    AXD    THE    IKON-ORE 
INDUSTRY. 

Tabi.k  I. 

Shipments  of  iron  ore  from  the  Luke  Sitpcrior  region. 


Previous  to 

1854 

1854 

1K55 

1856 


Long  tons. 


1861. 
1862. 
1863. 


75,  083 
3,  000 
1.440 

;)6,  :u:i 

2.-),  G46 
15.  876 
68.  832 
114,401 
49,  909 
124, 169 
203,  055 


1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
;8"0. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 


243,127 

236,  208 


4,;i,  .'tw 

4!)1.44;) 
617,  444 
830,  940 
779,  607 
9I!0,901 
1,162,4.58 
919,  557 


Year. 

Long  tons. 

Tear. 

Long  tons. 

1876 

992, 764 

1887 

4, 738, 903 

1877 

.'   1,014,687 

1888 

5,  023,  279 

1878 

1,111.110 

1889 

7,  390,  387 

1879 

.   1,375.691 

1890 

9, 003.  701 

1880 

1,  908,  647 

1891 

7,  094,  981 

1881  . 

.   2,314,502 

1892 

9,  073,  568 

1882 

.   2,  966.  375 

1893 

6,  065,  795 

1883 

.   2,  341,  227 

1894 

7, 755, 494 

1884 

.   2,518,048 

1895 

10, 429, 037 

1885 

. !   2,  456, 548 

1896 

9,  934,  446 

1886 

.:   3, 562,  .570 

1 

1897 

12, 469,  638 

*The  figures  given  in  this  table  include  the  amounts  sliipped  by  all-rail  roiite.s;  tlio  quantities  thus 
tran.sported  are,  however.  relati\  ii\-  unimportant.  Iu  1892  the  all-rail  sliijuiientu  were  ,525.768  gross 
tons:  in  1893,  194.127:  in  1894.  1.13,874:  in  1895.  194.127:  in  1896,  290,-110.  and  in  1897,  253,993  gro.ss  tons. 
The  all-rail  shipments  lor  1892  were  obtained  from  Mineral  Kesources  of  the  United  States  (1892), 
p.  39,and  the  figures  foi-  1893-96  were  taken  from  the  Blue  Book  of  Ameiiean  Shipi)ing  (1897).  p.  118, 
and  for  1897  from  Tlie  Iron  Trade  Review.  Lake  Hhiiiinents  of  iron  ore  as  {ri^en  by'Birkinbine  in 
The  .Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  Various  Parts  of  the  World  (p.  195)  are  as  follows:  In  1892,  8,545,313 
gross  tons;  in  1S93,  5,836,749;  and  iu  1.894,  7,621.620  gross  tons. 

The  first  experimental  shi])nient  of  iron  ore  from  the  Lake  Superior  region  was  from  tlie  Marquette 
range  and  occurred  in  1850:  but  shii>nieiits  from  tliis  range  for  commercial  jmrposes  did  not  begin  until 
1853.  See  Mineral  Resources  i if  the  T'nitcd  States  (189l>.  p.  49.  Tlie  shipments  previous  to  1854  are 
given  in  Mineral  Resources  of  tlie  Tnitid  Statis  (1889  and  1890),  p.  27;  for  the  years  18,54  to  1886,  ibid. 
(1886).  p.  15:  for  1887  and  18.88,  iliid.  (l-isg).  p.  17:  for  1889  to  1893,  ibid.  (1892),  p.  38 :  for  the  years  1893 
to  1896,  Blue  Book  of  American  Shipping  (1897^  p.  118;  for  the  year  1897,  Mr.  A.  I.  Findlev,  editor  of 
The  Iron  Trade  Review. 


1  Iron  Age,  Vol.  LVII,  No.  2,  p.  155. 

2  Jbid.,  Vol.  LVII,  No.  22,  p.  126.3,  and  VoL  LVIII,  No.  13,  p.  595.  In  1894  Bessemer 
standard  ores  sold  for  $2.C5  per  ton  and  nou-Iiessemer  for  $2  per  ton  at  lower  lake 
ports.     (Ibid.,  Vol.  LVII,  No.  1,  p.  24.) 

"'The  prices  of  some  of  the  standard  lake  ores  in  1897  delivered  at  Lake  Erie  ports 
were  as  follows: 

Minnesota  hard  ore,  cnislied $3. 11 

Chandler 2.  92^ 

Norrie 2.  65 

Lake  Anjreline,  haid  oro 3.  46 

Burt  Mine,  Mesabi 2.  65 

Chapin 2.  40 

Red  hematites,  non-Bessemer  quality .$2.  00  to  2. 50 

^  There  is  no  likelihood  that  the  ores  of  this  region  will  be  .speedily  exhausted.  Mr. 
John  Birkiubine  says  of  the  Mesabi:  "No  other  iron  range  thus  far  discovered  pos- 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 
Taisle  II. 


73 


Production  of  iron  ore  in  the  lake  districts  of  the  several  States  of  the  Lake  Superior 
region,  in  the  lake  region  as  a  whole,  in  the  United  States,  and  importations  into  the 
United  States. 

I  Loiij;  toDS.] 


Tear.           Michigan. 

Michigan. 

Lake  dis- 
trict of      Minnesota. 
Wisconsin. 

Total  for 
the  Lake  Su- 
perior region. 

Total  for 

the  United 

States. 

Importa- 
tions. 

Unknown                   91  850 

18J5 

1,449 
6.790 

1 

i  ""  ' 

25,  646 
22, 876 
68,  832 
114,401 
114,258 
124, 169 
203,  055 
247, 059 
193, 758 

1858 

221876 
68.  832 
114,401 
49,  909 
124,  169 
203,  055 
243, 137 
187, 106 
288,  806 
457,  642 
510,  522 
629,  532 
861,403 
813, 379 
952,  077 

22,  876 

1860 

114  401 

2, 873, 459 

1861 

114,258 

186H 

203  055 

■ 

247,  059 
193,  758 

1865 

1867 

465  504 

465,  504 

510,  522 

639,  097 

859,  507 

813,984 

948,  .553 

1,  195,  234 

935,  488 

910,  840 

993,  311 

1,  025.  129 

1,125,093 

1.414,182 

510.  .-i22 
639  097 

1869 

1870 

859,507  : 

813,984    

948, 553    

3,031,1^91 

1872 

27,  000 

1,  195,  234 

935,  488 

910,  .S40 

993,311 

1.  025.  129 

1, 125,  093 

1,  414,  182 

1874 

69,  000 

4, 500,  000 

83,  000 
26,  000 
42,  000 
29,  000 
284, 141 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

^ 

2,123,404           197,911 
2,  672.  287  '        276,  020 
2,518,048             62,175 
2,225,148             34.612 
2.203,599  !          55,181 
3, 175,  959  i         150,  294 
3,933,681  i         400,104 
4,113,803  t         381,140 
5,  856, 169           798,  937 
7,  141,656  !         549,359 
6,127,001  1        910,465 

J 

2,321,315  j     7,974,000  :          782,887 
2  948  307  1     9  744  000  '          589  655 

1882 



1883  

1884 

1 885 

1886 

•;■;;;;• 

62,' 122' 

227,  075 
307,  948 
3'.U.  910 
511,953 
804,  508 
891.910 
945,  105 
1,255,465 

1,  499,  927 

2,  968,  403 

3,  806,  453 

4,  283,  880 

2.580!223  1...'....'..... 
2.  321,  882  1     8,  550,  330 
2,  485,  855  1     7,  600,  000 

3,034.201     

4.728,695    

490,  875 

487,  820 

390,  786 

1,  039,  433 

1,194,301 

1887 

1889 

1890 

1891 

7,  519.  6U      U,M8,041 

8.  941,o:;i      Ki  (i:;r,,  043 
7,621,  ((;.-.      14,  .-.1)1. 178 
9,.m;i.::,-s     n;   "k-.  fififi 

853,  573 

1,246,830 

912  804 

806,  585 

1894 

1895 

1896 

'.'..'......'... 

4.  668,  324 
4,419,074 
5,812,444 

5,  700, 736 

420,  367 
305,  Oil 
590,  081 
575,  743 

6.  .V.u.ci.- 
io;  2os;  iIts 

10,  566.  359 

11..-.S7.629 
ll.sTit.  679 

15.  957.  614 

16,  005,  449 

526,  951 
167,  307 
524,153 
682,  806 

I'p  to  the  cen.su8  year  1880  tlie  .statistics  given  iu  the  census  reports  coveriug  the 
production  of  iron  ore  iu  the  United  States,  and  those  of  the  production  iu  the  sev- 
eral States  iu  particular,  are  very  unsatisfactory.  For  the  reports  of  1850,  I860,  and 
1870  tlie  .statistics  of  production  were  very  largely  obtained  from  the  statements 
made  by  the  luauagers  of  the  various  blast  furnaces  as  to  the  amount  of  ore  con- 
sumed.' The  tables  do  not  specify  in  what  States  the  ore  was  produced,  but  merely 
give  the  amounts  reported  as  being  consumed  by  the  blast  furnaces.  This  being 
the  case,  in  giving  the  production  of  the  States  in  the  early  years  I  have  used, 

sesses  greater  apparent  reserves.  Conservative  estimates  formulated  from  the  rec- 
ords of  properties  now  exploited  and  worked,  together  with  others  determined  by 
systematic  explorations  and  analyses,  show  that  the  Mesabi  range  can  supply  ore 
(which  will  equal  in  average  iron  and  phosphorous  contents)  double  the  quantity 
(or  200,000,000  gross  tons)  wliich  the  entire  Lake  Superior  regiou  has  produced  in  iifty 
years.  In  this  estimate  there  are  not  included  n  number  of  properties  which  have 
been  imperfectly  explored."'  (The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1895,  p.  16.)  Since  Mr. 
Birkinbine  wrote  many  new  deposits  have  been  explored  and  his  estimates  must 
now  be  regarded  as  falling  far  short  of  the  amount  of  ore  this  range  contains. 


74  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

■wherever  it  has  been  possible,  the  statistics  giveu  in  Mineral  Resonrces  of  the 
United  States,  as  they  seemed  the  more  reliable.  The  census  flgnres  for  1880  appear 
to  be  accurate,  and  as  it  was  necessary  to  use  them  in  some  cases  they  iire  given  in 
all  cases  where  they  occur.  The  only  objection  to  them  is  the  fact  that  thc'y  are  not 
for  the  calendar  year.  These  tigures  are  here  inclosed  in  brackets.  It  is  to  be 
remembered  that  tlie  census  year  18X0  ended  May  31, 1880.  In  otht^r  cases,  unless 
otherwise  stated,  the  year  here  referred  to  is  the  calendar  year. 

The  figures  of  the  column  headed  "Total  for  the  United  States"  were  obtained  from 
the  following  sources:  For  the  year  1860,  Eighth  Census,  Manufactures,  p.  clxsvii; 
for  1870,  Ninth  Census.  Industry  and  Wealth,  p.  768;  for  1875,  Tenth  Census,  Mining 
Industries,  p.  33;  for  1880.  Eleventh  Census,  Mineral  Industries,  p.  12;  for  1881, 1882, 
and  1884.  Tenth  Census.  Mining  Industries,  p.  33;  for  1885,  Mineral  Resources  of  the 
United  States  (1S85),  p.  188,  and  for  188!)  and  the  succeeding  years  down  to  1896,  The 
Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  the  United  States  (1895),  p.  10.  The  statement  for  1896 
was  obtained  from  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1896,  by  .John  Berkinbine,  p.  23. 
In  some  cases  short  tons  have  been  converted  into  long  tons.  The  compilers  of  the 
Ninth  Census  think  the  production  of  1870  as  given  is  underestimated  l)y  about  eight 
or  nine  hundred  thousand  tons  (Ninth  Census,  Industry  and  Wealth,  p.  749).  For  the 
years  1X75  and  1881  the  amounts  given  are  estimates  made  by  Mr.  I.  Lowthian  Bell, 
and  the  amounts  given  for  1882,  1884,  and  1885  are  estimates  made  by  Mr.  .James  M. 
Swank,  general  manager  of  the  American  Iron  and  Steel  Association.  The  figures 
of  im])ortation  into  the  United  States  from  1872  to  1891  were  obtained  from  Mineral 
Resources  of  the  United  States  (1891).  p.  41;  from  1892  to  1894,  from  The  Production 
of  Iron  Ores  in  Various  Parts  of  the  World,  p.  19S;  for  1895,  from  The  Production  of 
Iron  Ores  in  the  United  States,  p.  25,  and  for  1896  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in 
1896,  by  John  Berkinbine,  p.  26. 

In  giving  the  production  of  the  States  forming  the  lake  region  it  was  thought  best 
to  include  only  the  ore  mined  within  this  region:  Wisconsin's  product  is  therefore 
somewhat  less  than  that  usually  reported  for  the  State.  The  figures  of  production 
up  to  1889  were  obtained  from  5lineral  Resources  (1889  and  1890),  p.  30,  and  since 
1889,  by  assigning  to  Wisconsin  the  difference  between  the  total  output  of  the  Lake 
Superior  region  and  the  com])ined  output  of  Michigan  and  Minnesota.  Michigan's 
output,  as  it  appears  in  the  first  column,  is  given  in  the  Geological  Survey  of  Michi- 
gan (1869-1873),  Vol.  I,  Part  I,  Atlas  Plate  12.  It  is  not  contended  that  these  figures 
are  exact.  To  some  suuill  extent  the  figures  of  the  second  column  are  of  my  own 
deduction.  Up  to  the  time  when  Wisconsin  became  a  jiroducer  I  have  given  Michi- 
gan credit  for  the  total  yield  of  the  Lake  Superior  region.  In  Mineral  Resources 
(1883),  p.  116,  it  is  statect  that  the  total  output  for  the  lake  region  for  1856  and  the 
previous  years  was  86,319  gross  tons;  this  might  also  be  placed  in  the  second  col- 
umn. It  will  be  noted  that  this  amount  does  not  correspond  with  the  first  column. 
From  1880  to  1889  the  difference  between  the  total  amount  mined  in  the  lake  region 
and  the  combined  f»utput  of  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  is  assigned  to  Michigan. 
Since  1889  it  is  given  as  reported  in  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  the  United  States 
(1895),  p.  10;  for  1896  see  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1896,  by  John  Birkinbine, 
p.  23. 

No  ore  was  raised  in  \Viscon8in  from  the  mines  of  the  lake  region  up  to  the  close 
of  the  census  year  1880;  there  was,  however,  some  ore  mined  in  this  district  during 
the  calendar  year  1880.  For  Wisconsin's  output  from  1880  to  1888  see  Mineral 
Resources  (1889  and  1890),  p.  31.  Since  188S  that  portion  of  the  total  production  of 
the  lake  region  not  belonging  to  either  Michigan  or  Minnesota  has  been  assigned  to 
Wisconsin.  For  Minnesota's  vield  of  ore  from  1884  to  1888  see  Mineral  Resources 
(1889  and  1890),  p.  31,  and  fr()m'l888  to  1895,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  the  United 
States  (1895),  p.  10;  and  for  1896,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1896,  by  John 
Birkinbine,  p.  23. 

Down  to  1882  the  figures  for  the  production  of  the  lake  region  as  a  whole  were 
taken  from  Mineral  Resources  (1883),  p.  116;  for  the  years  from  1883  to  1888  the 
figures  are  those  of  Mineral  Resources  (1891),  p.  38;  for  the  years  1888  to  1894,  Pro- 
duction of  Iron  Ores  in  Various  Parts  of  the  World  (1894),  p.  195;  for  the  produc- 
tion of  1895,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  the  United  States  (1895),  p.  12;  and  for 
the  production  of  1896,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1896,  by  John  Birkinbine,  p.  8. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


75 


Tablk  III. 

Production  of  iron  ore  in  ihe  Cornivall  Ore  Hills  of  Fennsylrania  and  the  Lake  Champlain 
district  of  Xew  York,  in  Xtw  York,  Xeiv  Jersei/,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio,  and  the  total 
for  these  States. 

[Long  tons.] 


Xear. 

Cornwall 
Ore  Hills. 

Lake 

Champlain 

district. 

New  York.. 

>few 
Jersey 

Pennsyl- 
vania. 

1 
Ohio,    j 

Total 

for  these 

States. 

1864     ... 

11  monthg. 
165,  915 
114,803 
216,  660 
202,  755 

165.  843 
173,  429 
174,408 
176,  055 
193,  317 

166,  782 
112,  429 

98,  925 
137,  902 
171,  589 
179.  299 
268,  488 
231, 173 

249,  050 
309,  681 
363, 144 
412,  320 
508,  864 
688, 054 
667, 210 
722,  917 
769,  020 
686, 302 
663.  746 
634, 714 
439, 705 
371,  710 
614,598 
463,  059 

1 

226.  000 

i 

1865 

1866 

1867 

275,  067 

1868 

1869 

! 

1870 

a  (469. 190) 

(323,  782) 
450, 000 
600, 000 
665,  000 
525. 000 
390,  000 
285,000 
315,  000 
409,  674 
488,  028 

[676, 225] 
745,  000 
737.  052 
932, 762 
521,416 
393,  710 
330, 000 
500, 501 
547,  889 
447,  738 
415,  510 
495, 808 
525,  612 
465, 455 
356, 150 
277,  483 
282, 433 
264,  999 

(978, 112) 

(282,  615) 

2, 05;i,  699 

1871 

1872 

350,  000 
420.  000 
250,  UOO 
300.  000 
290,  000 
365.  000 
380,  000 
480,  000 

700,  00(1 
637,  000 
725,  UOO 
540.  000 
530;  000 
420,  000 
588.  829 
768,  852 
669,5.53 
779,  900 
821,  994 
554,  865 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

1880 

6[l,126,899]{ 

|[1,951,496] 

[488,753] 

4  ''4S  372 

1881 

1882 

1883 

.::::::::::: 

1884 

1885 

'  '344,'484' 
377. 465 
253,352 
254.  294 
169,  088 
104, 487 
95,768 
68, 141 
58,493 
44, 834 
58, 480 

'.'.'.'.'.' ".'.'.'.\\ 

1887 

"i,"  247,' 537'' 
1,253,393  i 
1,017,216 
891,099 
534.122 
242,  759 
307,  256 
385,  477 

1889 

1,  560,  234 

1,  361,  622 

1, 272,  928 

1,  084,  047 

697, 985 

532, 087 

900, 340 

747,784 

3.  477,  575 

1891 

2, 920,  243 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1, 656,  398 

1895 

1  534  863 

1896 

1,  456, 740 

a  The  fignres  inclosed  in  parentheses  are  those  of  the  Ninth  Census:  Indiistry  and  Wealth,  p.  768, 
and,  as  has  already  been  explained  in  the  notes  to  Table  II,  they  are  of  doubtful  value. 

6  The  figures  inclosed  in  brackets  are  for  the  census  year  1880,  see  Eleventh  Census :  Mineral  ludns- 
tries,  p.  13. 

NOTES   TO   TABLE    III. 


The  sources  from  which  the  output  of  the  Cornwall  Ore  Hills  was  obtained  are 
as  follows:  From  1864  to  1890  Mineral  Eesources  (1889  and  1890),  p.  29;  for  1891, 
Ibid.,  p.  41;  for  1892,  Ibid.,  p.  40;  for  1893,  Ibid.,  p.  43;  for  1894,  Production  of  Iron 
Ores  in  Various  Parts  of  the  World,  p.  184;  and  for  189.5,  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in 
the  United  States,  p.  20;  and  for  1896,  The  Production  of  Iron  Ore  in  1896,  by  .lohn 
Birkinbine.  p.  21.  For  the  production  of  iron  ore  in  the  Lake  Champlain  district 
see  Mineral  Resources  (1891),  p.  41.  For  New  Jer.sey's  output  down  to  1889.  see 
Geological  Survey  of  Xew  .Jersey  (1893),  p.  443.  In  Mineral  Resources  (1891),  p.  41, 
may  be  found  Ohio's  output  for  the  years  from  1886  to  1888.  The  production  of  each 
of  the  States  from  1888  to  1896  is  as  given  in  Production  of  Iron  ()res  in  the  United 
States,  p.  10;  for  production  during  1896,  see  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in  1896,  by- 
John  Birkinbine,  p.  23. 


76  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

Table  IV. 

Production  of  iron  ore  in  Alahama,  'Tennessee,  Geonjict,  and  the  total  for  these  States. 
[Long  tons.] 


Tear. 

Alabama. 

Tennessee. 

Georgia. 

Total. 

30,  909 
[93, 272] 

1880                      

[171, 139] 

220,  000 

250, 000 

ZScf,  000 

420, 000 

505,  000 

650,  000 

675,  000 

1,  000,  000 

1,. 570,  319 

1,897,815 

1,  986, 830 

2,  312,  071 
1,742,410 
1,  493,  086 
2, 199,  390 
2, 041,  793 

[81,621] 

1346,032] 

1883 



1885                      .       



;:::::::;:::::;:::::::: 



18SQ 

473, 294 
465,  695 
543, 923 
406,  578 
372. 996 
292,  831 
519, 796 
535, 484 

248,  020 

244,  088 

250, 755 

185,  054 

a  186,  015 

a  174, 694 

a  272,  014 

« 175,  331 

2  291  633 

1890 

1891 

2,  607, 598 

2,781,508 

2,  903,  703 

a  2,  301,  421 

a  1,960,  611 

a  2,  991,200 

1892 

1893.... 

1895 

1896 

a  2,  752,  608 

a  iJicludiug  North  Caroliua,  whith  has  two  and  generally  but  ou«  small  establishment  mining  ore 
XOTK.S  TO   TABLE   IV. 

All  of  the  tigiiies  for  1870  were  obtained  from  Xiuth  Census  :  Industry  and  Wealth, 
p.  768 ;  they  are  open  to  the  same  criticism  as  the  figures  for  1870  of  Table  II.  Those 
of  Alabama  and  Tennessee  for  1880  were  obtained  from  Eleventh  Census:  Mineral 
Industries,  p.  13;  they  are  therefore  for  the  census,  not  for  the  calendar,  year.  For 
1880  the  production  oi'  Georgia  is  given  in  Tenth  Census:  Mining  ludu.stries,  p.  23, 
Alabama's  production  for  the  years  1881  to  1888  is  given  in  Mineral  Kesources  (1891), 
p.  19;  these  figures  are  estimates  based  on  the  production  of  pig  iron.  Since  1889 
the  production  of  each  of  the  States  is  that  given  in  The  Production  of  Iron  Ores  in 
the  United  States  (1895),  p.  10.  For  1896  the  statistics  were  obtained  from  The 
Production  of  Iron  Ore  in  1896,  by  John  Birkinbiue. 

Table  V. 


Shi2)ment8  of  Lalce  Superior  iron  ore  hy  ports  {gross  tons). 
[Data  furnished  by  A.  I.  Findley,  editor  of  The  Iron  Trade  Review.] 


Tear. 

Marquette. 

Escanaba. 

St,  Ignace. 

L'Anse. 

Ashland. 

1884 

918,489 

750,  047 

853,  396 

803,  411 

844,  694 

1,  376,  335 

1, 307,  395 

1,  056,  027 

1. 026,  338 

1, 086,  934 

1,424,850 

1,  079, 485 

1,  .578, 600 

1,945,519 

1,  356.  587 
1,  219,  777 

1,  538, 821 

2,  072,  708 

2,  202,  965 

3,  003,  632 
3,  714,  662 

3,  058,  590 

4,  010, 085 
2, 048, 981 

1,  644, 776 

2,  860, 172 
2, 321, 928 
2,  302, 121 

51,109 
93,  588 
74,  590 
91,  554 
107, 399 
51,  853 

64, 420 

20,  027 

119,  563 

1886 

721  983 

1  016,414 

1889 

1,484,802 

1890 

2,123,856 

1891 

1  261  658 

1892 

2,  223,  684 

1893 

' 

1,117,520 

1894 

1, 738, 590 

1895 

2,  350, 219 

1896 

1,566  336 

1897 

2,  067,  637 

STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


77 


Shipments  of  Lake  Superior  iron  ore  by  ports  (gross  tons) — Continued. 


Tear. 

'^7^^^ar-    Gladstone. 

Superior. 

Duluth.           Total. 

1884  .                    

2,  390,  605 

2,  428,  486 

3,  493, 186 

4,  398,  857 
4,621,947 
6,804,511 
8,  063,  067 
6,  444,  440 
8  54.T  314 

1885 

225  484 



450,475    --- -1 ---- 

819,639  '          68,250 

826,063  i          91,091 

890,  299  1        177,  866 

1,165,076  '        115,886 

903,  329  '        203,  585 

1,373,253  1          79,208 

2,118,156  1        109,  2n 

1,813,992  1        220,888 

2,651,465           341,014 

1 

1890 

1892 

4,245 
80,  273 

440,  502 
1,  369,  252 
1.ii98.7«3 

1894                                                

7,  629,  829 

117,  884 

1896                    

167,245  1     1,988,932 
531,  825        2.  376.  064 

9,657  921 

1897 

12, 215,  645 

Eeeeipts  of  Lake  Superior  iron  ores,  hi/  vessel,  at  lake  ports  (f/ross  tons). 
[Data  furnished  by  A.  I.  Fimlley,  editor  of  the  Iron  Trade  Review.] 


Tear. 

Toledo. 

Sandusky. 

Huron. 

Lorain. 

Cleveland. 

Fairport. 

! 

758, 983 

826,  419 

993,  046 

723, 129 

904, 850 

589,  234 

1,  034,  650 

1,216,423 

971, 775 

1,742,415 

1, 945, 492 

1,  257,  775 

1,950,224 

1,  260, 716 

1,624,573 

2, 312,  370 

2, 313, 170 

2, 456,  704 

1881 

[ 

1883 

27,  617 
2,444 
15,  000 

26. 960 
61, 729 
75,  601 

82. 961 
164,  295 
191, 105 
139,  987 
145,  515 
158,  384 
260,  730 
301,794 
416,438 

58,  825 
166,  540 
143, 180 
157,  970 
160,  600 
154,  924 
186,  082 
174,  596 
106, 907 
49,  736 
4,464 
23,  043 
12,  361 
58,  667 
79,  792 

25,  794 
30, 156 
13,180 
99,  744 
134,  764 
197,  000 
280,  000 
280, 450 
266,  009 
190.  400 
165,  667 
150,  424 
214,  219 
191,445 
355, 188 

40  334 

1885 

31,  992 

44,  021 

21,  288 

4,351 

680 

1,200 

14,910 

65, 000 

137,  700 

172,  775 

146,442 

226,  515 

198,231 

112,  000 

1887 

501,  368 

611.140 

1889 

829, 121 

1,096,408 

1891 

699, 434 

1893                         

792,  517 

1894 

976,  222 

1895                         

914,617 

1896 

941,  446 

1,  008,  340 

Tear. 

Ashtahula. 

Conneaut. 

Erie. 

Buffalo, 

Tonawan- 

da.a 

Total. 

Receipts  of 

other 
lake  porta. 6 

18S0 

298,  594 

377,  976 

598,  037 

670,  000 

650,  000 

582,  000 

672, 000 

1, 103,  839 

1,  288,  530 

1,  963,  490 

2, 176,  730 

1,599,785 

2,555,416 

1,  845,  738 
1, 987,  722 

2,  474,  791 

2,  272,  822 

3,  001,  914 

1881 

106,  787 
116,  027 
122,  223 
91,  250 
20,  488 
240, 338 
373,  595 
487,  493 
393,  759 
645,  230 
469,  299 
624,438 
811, 989 
847,  849 
1,311,526 

40,  203 
8,760 
7,160 
31,869 
28,  699 
240,  000 
298,  000 
548,  000 
410,  000 
197,  000 
308,  238 
395,  339 
719,  742 
545, 101 
797, 446 

i,  692,  689 
1,  841,  877 

1,  503, 969 

2,  270,  554 
3, 439,  198 

3,  783,  659 

5.  856, 344 

6,  874,  664 

4,  939,  684 
6,  660,  734 

5,  333,  061 

6,  350,  825 
8, 112,  228 
8,  026, 432 

10,120,906 

548,  728 

924,  517 

1886 

1,222,632 

959,  659 

1888 

P48, 167 

1890 

1, 188,  403 

1891 

1,504  756 

1892 

1,130 
203,  207 
237,  905 
244,  967 
327, 623 
495,  327 

1,  884,  580 

548, 153 

1894 

1895 

1896        

1,  279,  004 
2,121,682 
1,  631,  489 

1897 

2,  094.  739 

a  Buffalo  alone  to 


6  Most  of  this  ore  was  received  at  South  Chicago. 


78  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE, 

Table  VI. 
Freight  rates,  by  lale  vessel,  on  iron  ore  per  lonij  ton  from  ports  named  to  Lake  Erie  ports. 


Escauaba.                   j                  Marquette. 

Ashland,  Superior, 
Duluth,  and  Two  Harbor.s. 

Tear. 

Rate. 

Wild  or 
daily 
rate. 

Con- 
tract 
rate. 

Rate. 

Wild  or 
daily 
rate. 

Con- 
tract 
rate. 

Rate,  a 

Wild  or 
daily 
rate. 

Con- 
tract 
rate. 

$3.00 
3.00 
$2.  00  to   2.50 
2.  00  to   2.50 
2.  00  to   2.50 
2. 00  to   3.00 

2.  25  to   4.50 
3. 00  to   4.00 

3.  00  to    5.00 
2. 05  to   5.00 
2. 75  to   6.50 
2. 00  to   4.00 
2. 25  to   3.25 
2.  75  to   4.50 
2.  05  to   3.25 
2.  05  to   4.00 
2. 85  to   6.60 
3. 25  to   4.00 
1.60  to   2.50 
1.30  to    1.50 
1.25  to    2.20 

1857 

1859 



1860 

1862 

. 

1863 

1 

1864 

........ 

1865 

18C6 

$2. 50  to  $5. 75 

1.05  to   3.05 

1.06  to   2.06 

1 

1867 

1868 

.       1 

;::::;:;::::::  i:::::::::::::: 

1870 1.65  to   2.50 

1871 1  1.50  to   2.50 

1872 1  2.00to   5.25 

1873 1  2.30to   3.00 

1874 1.30to   1.40 

1875           '  1  10t,.>    1  30 



1876 

!R0.86  '     iftl.2fl 

$1.35 
1.41 
1.22 
1.83 
2.26 
2.05 
1.26 
1.40 
1.08 
.98 
1.51 
1.87 
1.30 
1.19 
1.07 
1.02 
.98 
.71 
.60 
.92 
.66 
.55 

$1.50 
1.40 
1.30 
1.40 
2.75 
2.45 
1.75 
1.20 
1.35 
1.05 
1.20 
1.63 
1.15 
1.10 
1.25 
.90 
1  15 

.  65  to    1. 50  1        .  98  1       1.  00     1. 25  to  2.  00 
60  to   1  15  '        81  '        on  !  1  00  to  1  50 

1878 

1879 

.70  to    2.10  i      1.25 
1.50  to    2.00  1      1.70 
1.00  to    1.60         1..S6 

.90     1.  25  to  3.  00 
1.  85     2.  00  to   2.  75 
1.  75     2. 00  to  2.  30 
1. 40  1   1. 25  to  2.  00 
1.  00  1  1. 30  to   1.  75 
1.10                    1.00 

1880    

;::;:;:: 

1881 

1882 

.50  to    1.40 

.90  to    1.50 

.65 

1.00 

1.35 

1.75 

.  90  to    1. 45 

.90  to    1.25 

1.10  to    1.00 

1.04 
1.22 
.87 
.78 
1.28 
1.59 
1.05 
1.01 
.89 

1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

.90 
1.05 
1.40 

.90 
1.00 
1.10 

1.40 
1.75 
2.15 

1.  10  to   1. 15 
.90  to  1.25 

1.25  to  1.10 

$1.07  to  $1.65 
1.02  to    3.00 
1.75  to    2.75 
1.02  to    1.08 
1.25  to     .90 
1.  35  to    1. 00 

$1.25 
1.78 
2.23 
1.43 
1.34 
1.17 

$1.15 
1.20 
2.00 
1.25 
1.25 
1.35 

1892 

74         1  00 

1    ^r, 

1  25 

.56  '        .85 
.46           .60 
.73           .55 
.52           .70 
45             d^ 

1894 

.80 
.75 
.95 
.65 

.78 
1.13 
.77 
.57 

.80 

1895 

.80 

1896    

1.05 

1897 



70 

■  Rates  from  Asbland  alone. 


NOTES  TO   TABLE   VI. 

Out  of  the  rate  that  is  received  the  vessels  pay  trimming  and  unloading  charges. 
In  1895  and  1896  these  amounted  to  19  cents  per  ton  and  in  1897  to  lti.5  cents.  Some 
few  boats  do  not  trim,  and  thus  escape  tlie  trimming  charge,  which  in  189.5  and  1896 
varied  from  2.5  to  3  cents,  and  in  1897  was  2.5  cents.  All  vessels  pay  the  unloading 
charges,  which  in  1897  were  9  cents  for  shoveling  the  ore  into  buckets  lowered  into 
the  ship's  hold  and  5  cents  as  a  dock  charge. 

The  rates  as  given  in  the  first  column  for  each  port  were  obtained  from  Mineral 
Resources  of  the  United  States,  1889-90,  pp.  27-31.  They  were  compiled  by  the 
State  commissioner  of  mineral  statistics  of  Michigan.  The  other  rates  were  com- 
piled by  the  Marine  Review,  of  Cleveland. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


79 


Taiuj:  VII. 
Record  of  orc-sliipjihu/  docls  on  the  (ireat  Lakes. 


Railway. 


Location. 


DopvlLengtli 

No  «*■ 

^°-  '    dock. 


Dnluth   aud  Iron  Kange  i  Two  Harbors,  Minn 
R.  K. 


Duhith,      Mia.sabi     and     Dulutli,  Minn. 

Northern  Hwy. 
Dnhitli.     Superior    and  1  Allouez     Bay,    Supe- 

AVestern  R.  R.                   I      rior,  "Wis. 
Chicaoo  aud  Northwest-     Ashland,  Wis 

ern  llwy. 

!  Escanaba,  Mich 


Dulnth,  South  Shore  and     Marquette,  Mich . 
Atlantic  Rwy.  ' 


Lake  Superior  and  Ish-  ! do 

Gladstone,  Mich . 


pemmg  Rwy. 
Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and 

Sault  Ste.  Marie  Rwy. 
Wisconsin  Central. 


Feet. 
1,056 
1,056 
540 
1.008 
1,  008 
2,304 
1,152 
a  600 
b'JOO 
1,404 
1,404 
1,104 
1,152 
1,  356 
1,500 
1,392 
1,700 
1, 200 
1,200 
1,200 


Width 

of 
dock. 


Ft.  In. 

41  0 

41  0 

49  0 

49  0 

49  0 

52  0 

52  0 
49  8 
49  8 
46  8 
46  0 
37  0 
37  0 
37  0 
37  0 
37  0 
40  0 

53  6 
36  8 
52  0 


1  j        768  I     37    0 
1       1,908  I     36    0 


Height 
of  dock 

(water 
to 

deck). 


54  0 

45  0 

48  6 

40  3 

52  8 
48  6 

53  3 
45  0 
37  0 


pi"  ^sc.°- 


47    0 
54    6 


,  Gross  tons. 

141  I  18,000 

176  23, 900 

90  16, 000 


168 


30,  000 

33,  000 
57.  600 

34,  560 
15,  000 
25, 500 
36,  036 
24, 156 
24, 104 
20,  928 
30,  284 
32,  750 
43, 152 

27,  000 
12,  780 

28,  000 
36,  000 

15,  000 

33, 500 


*  From  "  The  Iron  Mines  of  Minue.sota." 
Institute  of  Mining  Engineers. 
a  Old  part. 
6  New  extension, 
c  Destroyed  by  fire  November  30, 1897  but 


Prepared  for  the  seventy-third  meeting  of  the  American 


rebuilding. 


Table  VIII. 
Data  relating  to  ore-carrying  railroads  of  northern  Minnesota. 


Weight 

Railway.            of  rails 

[  per  yard. 

Weight  of  freight  loco- 
motives   in    working 
order,  with  tenders. 

Number  of  freight 
locomotives. 

Capacity  of 
standard 
ore-car. 

Number 

of 
ore-cars. 

1  Founds. 
Duluth  and  Iron                80 
Range  R.  R. 

Duluth,  Missabi  '    60  &  80 

and    Northern 

Rwy. 
Duluth,  Superior                60 

and   Western 

R.  R. 

12 -wheel    locomotives, 
123  tons ;  consolidation 
locomotives,  88  tons. 

10 -wheel    locomotives, 
97  tons;  consolidated 
locomotives,  118  tons. 

12-wheel    locomotives, 
20;  consolidated  loco- 
motives, 24. 

10-wheel    locomotives, 
16;  consolidation    lo- 
comotives, 2. 

7 

Gross  tons. 
24 

25 

2,293 

1,801 

600 

*  The  Iron  ]^Iines  of  Minnesota.    Prepared  for  the  seventy-third  meeting  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Mining  Engineers.    This  was  the  state  of  these  railroads  on  July  14,  1897. 


PART  IV. 

COAL  TRAFFIC. 

To  the  vast  extent  of  territory  about  the  (Ireat  Lakes,  but  especially 
to  the  country  west  and  north  of  the  Lakes  Michigan  and  Superior, 
lake  transportation  means  cheap  coal.  During  the  greater  portion  of 
the  season  of  189G  coal  was  carried  from  Buftalo  to  Duluth  and  Su- 
perior, a  distance  of  997  miles,"  for  20  cents  per  ton.  It  would  be  a 
work  of  supererogation  to  emphasize  what  this  very  low  rate  means  to 
the  people  of  the  Xorthwest,  where  fires  must  be  maintained  for  at 
least  six  of  the  twelve  months  of  the  year.  To  the  lake  carriers  coal 
means  west-bound  cargoes.  If  it  were  not  for  coal,  nearly  all  the  vessels 
carrying  ore,  grain,  flour,  and  lumber  to  the  h)wer  lake  ports  would  be 
obliged  to  return  "light.''  During  189(i  coal  constituted  about  three- 
fourths  of  the  west-bound  trafitic  through  the  Detroit  River  and  8G  per 
cent  of  the  west-bound  traftic  through  the  St.  Marys  Falls  Canal. 

During  1896  shipments  from  the  ports  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario 
amounted  to  about  9,000,000  tons.^  The  growth  of  this  enormous  traffic 
from  small  beginnings  in  the  seventies  can  not  be  set  forth  in  detail 
because  of  the  meagerness  of  reliable  data.  Something  may,  however, 
be  Inferred  from-  the  growth  of  the  traffic  of  the  leading  shipping 
ports.-'     Shipments  of  coal  from  Buflalo  have  been  as  follows: 


Year. 

Tons. 

Year. 

Tons. 

1873 

570,443 

439.720 

589, 670 

1  448  086 

1890 

2, 188,  (582 
2,617,268 
2  400  U68 

1875 

1895 

1880 

1896     ..   . 

1885. 

Most  of  the  anthracite  coal  consigned  by  lake  is  shipped  from  Buffalo. 
Erie,  Charlotte,  Oswego,  and  Ogdensburg  are  the  other  ports  shipping 
large  quantities  of  this  coal.  But  very  little  bituminous  coal  is  shipped 
from  Buffalo;  in  1896  .shipments  amounted  to  but  21,000  tons.  Bitu- 
minous coal  is  shipped  from  the  Lake  Erie  ports  west  of  Buffalo — Erie, 
Oonneaut,  Ashtabula,  Fairport,  Cleveland,  Lorain,  Huron,  Sandusky, 
and  Toledo.  Cleveland  has  been  the  chief  shipping  ])ort  of  this  form 
of  coal.  The  g-rowth  of  the  traffic  at  this  port  may  be  seen  from  the 
subjoined  table: 


Year. 

Tons. 

Year. 

Tons. 

1887 

a  723  802 

1  522  557 

1890 

1, 287, 177 

a  Includes  a  small  rail  tonnage. 

In  the  decade  covered  by  the  table  there  was  an  increase  of  149  per 
cent  in  the  business  of  Cleveland.     Shipments  from  the  Cuyahoga 

^This  is  the  di-stance  given  iu  the  Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part 
II,  p.  2ti8.  For  several  weeks  during  1895  coal  was  carried  from  Bufl'alo  to  Duluth 
for  1.5  cents  per  ton. 

-Shipments  from  Ogdenshurg  are  included  in  this  estimate.  Nothing  in  the  way 
of  a  definite  statement  can  be  yiven.  as  accurate  data  are  not  obtainable.  Of  all  the 
statistics  thus  far  considered  the  statistics  of  the  coal  business  are  by  far  the  worst. 
This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  coal,  much  more  than  other  commodities,  is  taken  on  at 
"intermediate "  ports.  Much  of  the  business  therefore  is  not  recorded  on  the  books 
of  the  custom-houses. 

^  These  facts  may  be  found  in  Appendix  III,  Tables  I-V. 
80 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


81 


customs  district,  which  includes  Cleveland,  Ashtabula,  Lorain,  Fair- 
port,  aud  Conneaut,  or  all  the  ports  shipping-  large  quantities  of  bitu- 
minous coal  except  Toledo,  have  grown  even  more  rapidly  than  the 
shipments  from  Cleveland.  In  1887,  shipments  from  this  district  were 
1,433,035  tons;  and  in  1896, 3,863,615  tons,  a  gain  in  the  ten-year  period 
of  2,130,610  tons  or  169  per  cent.^ 

In  the  coal  business  the  ports  of  destination  are  much  more  numerous 
than  the  ports  of  origin.  The  small  ports  about  the  lakes  receive  not 
only  their  own  supplies  of  coal,  but  to  some  extent  those  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  as  well.  The  aggregate  receipts  of  the  small  ports 
are  not  very  large,  however,  and  so  the  growth  of  the  receipts  of  the 
large  ports  shows  pretty  accurately  the  increase  of  the  business  and 
the  shifting  of  the  great  distributing  centers.  Fortunately  we  have 
statistics  of  the  receipts  at  the  great  distributing  ports  for  a  long  period 
of  years.^  Chicago  and  Milwaukee,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan, 
and  Duluth  and  Superior,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  are  the  centers 
from  which  the  West  and  Northwest  receive  their  coal.  The  tables  in 
A])pendix  IV,  Tables  VI-VIII,  show  the  growth  of  the  coal  business  of 
these  cities,  and  the  following  table  exhibits  the  present  importance  of 
the  traflic : 


Total 

receipts, 

1896. a 


Chicago 

Milwaukee 

D ninth  and  Superior. 


Tons. 
6,812,319 
1,  587,  795 
1,  775,  712 

a  Only  about  one-fifth  of  the  receipts  of  Chicago  come  by  lake.  Chicago  receives  about  two-thirds 
of  her  supplies  from  Ulinois  and  Indiana.  Duluth  and  Superior  receive  their  stocks  by  lake,  and 
Milwaukee  obtains  nearly  all  her  coal  by  lake,  having  received  bat  100,312  tons  by  rail  in  1896. 

The  absolute  and  relative  importance  of  these  ports  as  distributing- 
points  is  much  more  accurately  indicated  by  their  shipments  than  by 
their  receipts.     The  shipments  were  as  follows : 


Tear. 

Chicago 

ship- 
ments, a 

Milwaukee 
ship- 
ments, b 

Duluth  and 
Superior 
receipts. c 

1880                                       

Tons. 

Tons. 
65,  390 
121,  885 
164, 444 
235,771 
205,  061 
269,  277 
284,  803 
295, 439 
453,837 
413,  408 
522,618 
600,  888 
469, 144 
532,  993 
432, 768 
640,  470 
446.  683 

T071S. 

60  000 

1881 

163  000 

1882                 .   ..           

260,  000 

1883 

420,  000 

1885                                                                                   

592  000 

991,  053 

156,  037 

1.471,338 

1, 206,  608 

1, 377,  594 

1, 344,  055 

1, 475,  624 

1,401,659 

968. 132 

999, 308 

913,  577 

819,  686 

1887                                                             

912  000 

1889                 

1,205  000 

1890 

1,  780,  000 

1891        

1, 776, 000 

1892 

1,812,561 

2, 126,  781 
2  010,731 

1894                            

1895 

1,654,882 

1896                    

1, 775, 712 

1897 



a  See  Appendix  IV,  Table  XII,  for  particulars. 

b  See  Appendix  IV,  Table  XIII.  for  particulars. 

0  The  shipments  of  coal  from  Duluth  and  Superior  can  not  be  obtained.  The  consumption  of  coal  in 
Duluth  and  Superior  is  small,  for  the  combined  population  of  these  two  cities  is  not  large,  and  thus 
the  receipts  will  answer  for  comparative  purposes  almost  as  well  as  the  shipments.  As  our  interest 
lies  in  the  rate  of  increase  rather  than  in  its  absolute  amount,  and  because  it  may  be  assumed  that 
8hii)ments  from  the  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  have  grown  fully  as  fast  as  the  local  consump- 
tion, the  receipts  instead  of  the  shipments  may  be  used  without  changing  the  results. 

■  Detailed  information  may  be  found  in  Appendix  IV,  Table  III. 

-  The  statistics  of  tbe  receipts  are  more  accurate  than  those  of  shipments.     The 
tables  compiled  by  the  Chicago  bureau  of  coal  statistics,  for  example,  are  regarded 
by  those  in  a  position  to  speak  authoritatively  as  perfectly  trustworthy. 
H.  Doc.  277 6 


82  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

By  the  foregoiug  table  it  appears  that  Chicago  has  no  more  than 
held  its  own  as  a  distributing  point  dviring  the  period  covered  by  the 
table,  and  that  shipments  from  Milwaukee  grew  from  05,300  tons  in 
1880  to  600,888  tons  in  1891  and  fell  to  132,768  tons  in  181)1,  but  rose  to 
640,170  tons  in  1895,  but  decreased  again  in  1896  to  146,683  tons,  almost 
reaching  the  low  figure  of  1891.  The  Duhith-kSuperior  business  grew 
almost  without  setbacks  from  60,000  tons  in  1880  to  the  large  volume 
of  2,126,781  tons  in  1893.  In  1891  the  traffic  of  these  ports  fell  a  trifle 
short  of  that  of  1893  and  iji  1895  there  was  a  more  decided  loss,  but  iu 
1896  there  was  a  partial  recovery.  The  movement  of  coal  through  the 
St.  Marys  Falls  Canal  in  recent  years  has  grown  at  a  much  more 
rapid  rate  than  the  receipts  of  Duluth  and  Superior.  The  distribution 
of  (;oal  from  Lake  Superior  points  lias  therefore  increased  even  more 
rapidly  than  is  indicated  by  the  statistics  of  the  business  of  Uuluth 
and  Superior.'  Every  effort  has  been  made  by  the  coal  dealers  of 
Chicago  and  Milwaukee  on  the  one  hand  and  of  Duluth  and  Superior 
on  the  other  to  secure  the  trade  of  the  VVest  and  Northwest, 

Lake  rates  from  the  lower  lake  i)orts  are  almost  always  less  to  the 
ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  than  they  are  to  the  ports  at  the 
head  of  Lake  Michigan.  IJail  rates  to  the  West,  on  the  other  hand, 
seem  to  favor  Milwaukee  and  Chicago.  The  territory  controlled  by 
these  groups  of  ports  expands  and  contracts  with  variations  in  rates, 
but  in  a  general  way  the  territory  supplied  by  either  of  them  can  be 
located.  If  a  line  be  drawn  from  Kau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  to  La  Crosse 
and  through  southeastern  Minnesota  across  northwestern  Iowa  and 
to  the  Missouri  Kiver  and  down  this  river  to  Kansas  City  and  then  west, 
all  the  territory  lying  to  the  north  and  west  of  this  line  would  be  sup- 
plied with  hard  coal  from  the  head  of  Lake  Superior.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  indicate  the  line  sei)arating  the  territory  supplied  witli  soft 
coal  by  Duluth  and  Superior  from  that  supplied  by  Chicago  and  Mil- 
waukee; it  may,  however,  be  said  that  the  line  would  be  somewhat 
pushed  back  to  the  north  and  west.- 

In  the  westward  movement  of  coal  from  the  mines  there  is  the  keenest 
competition  between  the  railroads  and  the  lake  carriers.  In  each  case 
the  business  is  particularly  desirable,  because  it  is  in  the  direction  in 
which  the  least  traffic  moves.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  east- 
bound  business  of  both  the  railroads  and  the  lakes  far  exceeds  the  west 
bound :  it  therefore  becomes  particularly  desirable  to  secure  west- 
bound freight,  for  if  it  be  not  obtained  it  means  that  empty  cars  nuist 
be  hauled  or  vessels  run  "light." 

As  Chicago,  of  all  ports  in  the  West,  is  the  point  to  which  the  rail- 
roads can  most  successfully  meet  the  competition  of  the  lake  carriers, 
the  business  of  this  city  will  first  be  discussed.  In  the  contest  for 
Chicago  business  the  lake  carriers  are  at  a  decided  disadvantage  in  the 
point  of  distance.  From  Buffalo  to  Chicago  by  lake  is  889  miles,  while 
it  is  but  523  miles  by  rail.^  Thus  every  mile  covered  by  lake  results  in 
the  effective  westward  movement  toward  Chicago  of  but  0.588  of  a  mile. 
At  points  sourh  of  Lake  Erie  the  railroads  would  be  still  more  advan- 
tageously situated.  Nothing  more  will  be  said  at  present,  as  this  mat- 
ter will  be  discussed  later  on. 

1  There  is  also  a  shifting  of  the  coal  business  in  the  case  of  the  jjorts  about  Lake 
Michigan.  A  large  receiving  yard  has  recently  been  established  on  the  car-ferry 
slip  of  the  Chicago  and  North-Western  at  Manitowoc. 

-  The  coal  mines  of  northern  Iowa  have  sufiered  a  great  deal  by  the  severe  com- 
petition of  eastern  coal  in  the  northern  markets  that  they  once  supplied. 

^This  is  the  distance  over  the  "Nickel  Plate"— the  New  York,  Chicago  and  St. 
Louis  Railroad. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  83 

The  issue  ot"  the  struggle  fur  the  coal  traffic  betweeu  the  lake  car- 
riers and  the  railroads  is  delei-miued  very  largely  by  the  kind  of  coal 
to  be  carried.  Almost  all  of  the  sofc  coal  destined  for  Chicago  is  car- 
ried by  the  railroads  and  the  bulk  of  the  hard  coal  by  vessels.'  The 
facts  ex])lanatory  of  this  strange  condition  of  things  are  not  far  to  seek. 
The  solution  of  the  difficulty  is  found  in  the  location  of  the  coal  fields 
and  in  the  character  of  the  coal.  Hard  coal  is  mined  in  a  very  limited 
district  in  eastern  l*ennsylvauia  and  is  therefore  favorably  situated  in 
respect  to  the  lake  route.  It  can  be  carried  to  Buffalo  and  Erie  and  yet 
not  be  made  to  deviate  very  much,  so  far  as  the  short  rail  haul  to  the 
lake  is  concerned,  from  the  direct  line  to  Chicago,  But  this  is  not  all: 
After  the  coal  has  reached  Jkifl'alo  it  is  so  situated  that  the  greatest 
possible  effective  westward  movement  is  linked  with  its  westward  jour- 
uey.  In  other  words,  the  ineffectual  expenditure  of  energy  that  takes 
place  in  rounding  the  lower  peninsular  of  Michigan  is  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum by  the  almost  direct  westward  movement  the  whole  length  of  Lake 
Erie. 

The  bituminous  coal  mines  in  the  East  that  in  part  supply  Chicago 
with  coal  are  situated  well  south  of  Lake  Erie.  Hocking  Valley,  the 
Pittsburg  district,  and  West  Virginia  are  the  chief  sources  in  the  East 
from  which  Chicago  obtains  soft  coal.  From  these  localities  the  rail- 
andlake  route  can  not  compete  with  the  all-rail  lines  because  of  the  long 
rail  haul  to  the  lakes  and  the  circuitous  journey  around  the  lower 
peninsula  of  Michigan.  From  Pittsburg  to  Ashtabula  is  127  miles,  to 
Erie  148  miles,  and  to  Cleveland  150  miles,  while  the  total  distance 
from  Pittsburg  to  Chicago  over  the  Pennsylvania  Kailroad  is  but  468 
miles.  From  Athens,  in  the  Hocking  Valley  district,  to  Toledo  over 
the  Columbus,  Hocking  Valley  and  Toledo  Eailrpad  is  200  miles,  while 
the  distance  to  Chicago  is  but  390  miles.  After  the  coal  has  arrived  at 
Toledo  it  is  still  091  miles  from  Chicago,  if  it  go  by  lake.  At  all  points 
south  of  Athens  and  Pittsburg  the  rail  and-lake  lines  would  be  at  even 
greater  disadvantage,  for  the  combined  rail  andlake  distance  to  Chi- 
cago would  increase  more  rapidly  than  the  all-rail  distance. 

If  coal  goes  by  the  lake-and  rail  routes  it  must  of  course  be  trans- 
shipped at  the  lake  ports.  In  transshiimient  soft  coal  breaks  very 
much  more  than  hard.  In  the  case  of  hard  coal  the  breakage  varies 
from  6  to  8  per  cent,  Xo  figures  can  be  given  for  soft  coal,  as  the 
variations  are  too  great;  the  breakage  does,  however,  considerably 
exceed  S  per  cent.  It  needs  scarcely  to  be  said  that  the  value  of  the 
coal  is  very  much  affected  by  the  breakage.  As  hard  coal  is  damaged 
less  than  soft  it  might  be  advantageous  to  ship  the  former  l)y  lake  when 
it  would  not  the  latter.  It  also  costs  more  to  unload  soft  coal  than  hard 
at  Chicago,  the  shoveling  rate  for  the  former  having  been  14  cents  for 
several  years  while  the  rate  for  the  latter  has  been  but  12  cents.  It 
will  be  seen  later  that  improved  devices  are  now  largely  substituted  for 
manual  labor  in  unloading  hard  coal.  It  has  now,  perhaps,  been  made 
clear  why  the  bulk  of  the  anthracite  coal  received  at  Chicago  comes  by 
lake  and  almost  the  whole  of  the  bituminous  coal  comes  by  rail. 

Passing  85  miles  north  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee  the  position  of  the 
rail  and  lake  lines  is  wholly  changed.  All  eastern  coal,  both  hard  and 
soft,  received  at  Milwaukee  comes  by  the  lake  lines.  In  1896  Mil- 
waukee received  100,312  tons  of  coal  by  rail,  but  it  was  Illinois  coal. 
From  the  fact  that  Chicago  receives  a  large  portion  of  her  supply  of 
coal  from  the  East  by  rail  and  Milwaukee  receives  no  eastern  coal  by 

1  For  the  figures  see  Aj^pendix  IV,  Table  VI. 


84  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMiMERCE. 

rail,  it  may  be  iuferred  tliat  the  rail  haul  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee 
tips  the  balance  iu  favor  of  the  lake  lines.  There  is,  however,  another 
factor  that  must  be  taken  account  of— the  distance  by  lake  to  Milwau- 
kee from  Lake  Erie  ports  is  about  <S5  miles  less  than  to  Chicago,  and 
the  rate  is  usually  a  few  cents  less  per  ton.' 

In  conclusion,  a  word  may  be  said  about  the  receipts  at  the  head  of 
Lake  Superior.  It  would  be  inferred  that  if  the  railroads  can  not  com- 
pete with  the  lake  carriers  at  Milwaukee  they  would  be  less  successful 
at  ports  further  north,  and  such  is  the  case.  Duluth  and  Sux)erior 
receive  their  coal  by  lake.  To  the  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior 
the  railroads  do  not  have  the  advantage  in  point  of  distance  they  possess 
to  ports  at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan. 

No  treatment  of  the  transportation  of  coal  by  lake  would  be  complete 
without  a  discussion  of  the  development  of  dock  facilities  for  loading 
and  unloading  vessels.  Until  very  recent  years  the  crudest  methods 
obtained;  but  lately  wonderful  progress  has  been  made,  and  no  one 
need  be  surprised  if  in  the  near  future  hard  <-oal  be  handled  as,  or  even 
more,  expeditiously'  than  iron  ore.  But  few  improvements  have  lately 
been  made  iu  loading  anthracite  coal;  trestles  equipped  with  pockets 
have  long  been  in  use,  and  vessels  have  been  loaded  with  dispatch. 
The  Zenith  City  was  recently  loaded  with  5,127  net  tons  of  anthracite  coal 
at  the  Delaware  and  Lackawanna  trestle  in  Butfalo  in  four  hours.-  In 
the  loading  of  soft  coal,  however,  very  great  innovations  have  been  made. 
Lentil  very  recently  soft  coal  was  shoveled,  at  a  great  cost,  from  cars  to 
buckets  and  then  swung  onto  the  shi])  by  derricks.  Soft  coal  is  difficult 
to  handle.  Lacking  uniformity  of  shape  and  size  and  often  occurring 
in  large  masses,  men  find  it  very  difficult  to  shovel.  These  i)eculiari- 
ties  of  shape  also  make  it  difficult  to  construct  machinery  that  will 
handle  it.  Its  physical  texture  also  presents  difficulties;  it  can  not  be 
dropped  any  great  distance  without  great  damage  through  breakage. 

Because  of  the  obstacles  that  had  to  be  overcome  the  primitive 
methods  of  handling  soft  coal  persisted,  but  when  the  traffic  assumed 
large  proportions  the  expense  of  transshipment  and  the  delays  to  ves- 
sels made  it  so  desirable  to  institute  better  methods  that  every  effort  was 
bent  to  find  them,  and  large  sums  of  money  were  expended  in  experi- 
mentation. A  satisfactory  machine  would  have  to  attain  a  high  speed 
at  a  low  cost  with  but  a  limited  amount  of  breakage.  These  require- 
ments seem  to  be  satisfied  by  the  car  dumping  machines,  of  which  there 
are  several  varieties.  An  example  of  the  work  done  by  one  of  these 
machines  will  show  how  well  these  requirements  have  been  met.  A 
vessel  was  recently  loaded  at  Cleveland  with  5,170  tons  of  coal  in  ten 
hours  and  thirty  minutes  at  a  cost  of  -$13,  or  a  per  ton  cost  of  one-fourth 
of  a  cent.' 

A  definite  statement  can  not  be  given  of  the  breakage.  It  is  con- 
tended by  some  that  there  are  machines  that  handle  the  coal  with  less 
breakage  than  this  particular  one,  but  as  yet  it  is  impossible  to  obtain 
satisfactory  data  on  this  point. 

In  unloading  coal  as  great  advances  have  been  made  as  in  loading. 
The  mechanical  obstacles  to  be  overcome  in  automatically  unloading 
hard  coal  were  not  very  great,  and  it  is  surprising  that  progress  was 
so  slow  in  view  of  the  immense  amount  of  coal  handled,  the  delay  to 
vessels,  and  the  great  cost  of  labor.     Because  of  its  weight  audcharac- 

>  The  cost  of  nnloafliug  soft  coal  from  boats  is  also  a  trifle  less  at  Milwaukee  than 
at  Chicago. 

*The  Black  Diamond,  November  27,  1897. 

■'Thirteen  dollars  very  nearly  represented  the  total  cost  of  transshipment,  for  the 
expenditures  for  labor,  fuel,  and  oil  and  waste  were  included. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  85 

ter  coal  cau  only  be  handled  rapidly  by  men  who  are  strong  and 
endowed  with  great  powders  of  endurance,  and  the  services  of  snclnnen 
have  always  been  costly.  Mechanical  appliances  were  from  time  to 
time  introduced;  but,  although  they  cut  down  the  time  vessels  were 
delayed  by  increasing  the  amount  of  coal  handled  in  a  stated  time,  they 
neither  reduced  the  cost  of  shoveling  coal  in  the  ship's  hold  nor 
lessened  the  physical  tax  on  the  laborer.' 

The  strain  of  working  in  the  dusty,  stitiing  holds  of  vessels  was 
unbearable  for  any  length  of  time  by  even  the  strongest  men,  and  tiie 
irregularity  with  which  the  men  worked,  and  the  irregularity  of  the 
employment  offered,  proved  a  constant  source  of  trouble  between  the 
employees  and  employers.  Finally  this  tedious  method  of  unloading, 
coupled,  as  it  always  was,  with  uncertainty''^  and  great  cost,  became 
intolerable  and  the  self-tilling  "clam  shell"  or  grab  bucket  was  devel- 
oi)ed.  With  the  best  type  of  "  clam  shells"'  hard  coal  can  be  removed 
wdth  wonderful  rapidity  and  at  a  very  low  cost.  A  contract  covering 
the  installation  of  a  plant  at  Chicago  guaranteed  that  the  "clam  shell" 
would  develop  a  speed  of  three  trips  per  minute.  The  average  load  of 
this  bucket  is  a  gross  ton.  It  was  also  guaranteed  that  the  total  cost 
of  removing  cargoes  and  delivering  in  the  yard  would  not  exceed  5 
cents  per  ton  for  entire  cargoes.  Some  coal  has  been  raised  and  deliv- 
ered in  the  yard  for  three  fourths  of  a  cent  per  ton.  This  coal  was 
directly  under  the  hatches  and  theiefore  very  accessible.  At  one  of 
the  yards  in  Milwaukee  two  vessels,  whose  cargoes  aggregated  7,776 

'  An  outline  of  these  improvements  will  be  given.  Up  to  about  1873  coal  was 
handled  at  Chicago,  and  presumably  at  other  lake  ports,  in  a  very  crude  way.  The 
coal  was  removed  from  the  hold  of  the  ship  by  means  of  buckets  made  from  kero- 
sene oil  barrels  (the  upper  third  of  which  had  been  sawed  off)  and  a  rope  lash- 
ing for  a  handle.  These  bucket.s  were  raised  by  horse  power — the  horse  traveling 
back  and  forth.  On  a  temporary  stage  the  coal  was  dumped  into  wheelbarrows 
and  then  wheeled  back  over  a  "spring  run"  made  of  planks  supported  at  either  end. 
This  work  seems  to  have  been  difficult,  for  the  men  engaged  in  it  received  75  cents  per 
hour.  The  shovelers  in  the  hold  received  from  14  to  18  cents  per  ton.  The  tirst  impor- 
tant departure  from  this  system  was  made  about  1873.  At  this  time  the  ''mast  and 
gafl"  were  employed  as  a  derrick.  An  iron  bucket  holding  about  500  pounds  of  coal 
replaced  the  wooden  bucket  and  steam  power  was  used  in  hoisting.  Instead  of  being 
dumped  into  wheelbarrows  the  buckets  were  now  emptied  into  tram  cars,  which 
were  moved  l)y  hand.  These  improvements  greatly  reduced  the  cost  of  raising  the 
coal  from  the  hold  and  carrying  it  back  on  the  dock,  but  did  not  reduce  the  labor  of 
the  men  in  the  hold  or  the  cost  of  shoveling.  The  second  great  departure  was  made 
when  the  coal  was  hoisted  up  over  an  inclined  track  that  extended  out  over  the 
vessel  but  which  could  be  swung  back  Hush  with  the  dock  when  the  cargo  was  dis- 
charged. Steam  was  used  in  hoisting  and  the  buckets  were  dumped  into  a  hopper 
in  the  derrick.  Connected  with  the  derrick  was  an  automatic  tramway  which  was 
higher  at  the  dock  than  at  the  point  of  discharge.  The  car  dumped  automatically 
and  was  returned  automatically  by  a  weight  that  had  been  raised  by  the  car  as  it 
ran  out  but  which  was  dropped  when  the  car  discharged  its  load.  The  buckets  now 
held  from  1,200  to  2,200  pounds  of  coal  instead  of  500  pounds  and  also  dumped  auto- 
matically. These  improvements  still  further  reduced  the  cost  of  handling  coal 
after  it  was  hoisted.  They  were  introduced  in  the  years  from  1873  to  1893.  In 
the  fall  of  1892  Mr.  W.  S.  Bogle  built  an  experimental  derrick  for  the  purpose  of 
unloading  boats  with  self-filling  "clam-shells,"  and  demonstrated  that  his  plans  were 
practical,  provided  the  proper  kind  of  a  rig  were  built.  During  the  winter  of  1892-93 
work  was  continued  on  the  necessary  appliances,  and  in  the  spring  of  1893  the  self- 
tilling  " clam-shell'"  proved  successful.  The  "clam-shells"  could  not  be  swung 
either  way  under  the  hatch  opening,  so  scrapers  were  devised  (1893)  for  bringing  the 
coal  directly  under  the  hatch.  The  tramways  have  also  been  greatly  improved,  and 
coal  can  now  be  carried  back  a  mile  for  the  same  cost  as  it  can  be  delivered  on  the 
dock  front. 

All  of  the  old  forms  of  "clam-shells"  are  operated  by  steam  power.  One  of  the 
companies  constructing  this  form  of  machinery  is  experimenting  with  an  electrical 
bucket. 

"  The  factor  of  certainty  is  of  great  importance.  If  a  master  cau  not  know  when 
his  ship  will  be  unloaded  he  is  running  a  great  risk  in  making  contracts  for  new 
cargoes,  and  often  suffers. 


86 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


tons,  began  discharging'  their  cargoes  at  8  a.  m.,  and  were  ready  to 
leave  at  8  j).  m.'  For  handling  soft  coal  a.  special  form  of  "grab"  has 
been  devised.  It  works  very  effectively  in  view  of  the  obstacles  it  has 
to  contend  against.  Its  average  load  is  about  one-half  that  of  the 
"clam  shells"  commonly  nsed  in  unloading  hard  coal,  or  about  1,000 
pounds.  This  grab  can  also  be  used  in  unloading  soft  coal  from  open 
cars.  It  is  a  very  valuable  machine  in  this  occupation,  because  it  does 
the  work  that  the  shovelers  find  the  slowest  and  hardest.  It  removes 
tlie  bulk  of  the  load  and  thus  enables  the  men  to  quickly  reach  the 
bottom  of  the  car  at  some  point  from  which  they  work  more  effectively. 

Before  concluding  this  subject  a  word  must  be  said  about  lake  freights 
on  coal.  A  table  of  these  rates  may  be  found  in  Appendix  IV,  Tables 
IX  and  X.  These  tables  show  two  things :  ( 1)  that  the  rates  are  very  low 
as  compared  with  those  on  other  commodities,  and  {2)  that  they  have 
fallen  very  rapidly.  For  example,  the  average  of  daily  rates  on  iron 
ore  from  l)uluth  to  Lake  Erie  ports  during  1890  was  $1,05  per  long- 
ton,  while  the  average  of  the  daily  rates  on  hard  coal  from  Buffalo  to 
Duliith  was  24  cents  per  net  ton.  The  real  difference,  however,  was 
not  so  great  as  the  ai)parent  difference.  Coal  is  handled  without  charge 
to  the  vessel,  while  in  the  case  of  iron  ore  the  vessels  bear  charges  for 
trimming  and  uid.iading  amounting  to  1!)  cents  i)er  ton,-  and  in  the 
former  instance  the  net  ton  is  the  unit,  while  in  the  latter  the  long  ton  is 
the  unit.  The  coal  freights  are  so  low  that  many  vessels  never  engage  in 
this  tiatfic.  They  are  the  vessels  of  the  largest  tyi)e,  but  it  must  not  be 
inferred  from  this  fact  that  vessels  of  the  largest  class  are  not  in  general 
as  economical  carriers  as  the  smaller  ones.  It  is  the  loss  of  time  in  receiv- 
ing aiul  discharging  cargo  that  causes  the  very  large  vessels  to  avoid 
this  traftic.  Coal  docks  have  not  yet  been  built  with  snfticient  equip- 
ment to  give  the  largest  vessels  dispatch  in  unloading,  and  besides, 
very  often,  much  time  is  lost  in  waiting  for  boats  to  unload  that  have 
precedence.  The  ore  business  is  the  favorite  traffic  of  the  large  vessels ; 
the  dock  equipment  corresjjonds  to  their  size,  and  the  business  is  man- 
aged systematically,  so  serious  delays  are  infrequent.  It  has  already 
been  explained  why  rates  are  low.  It  is  sin)ply  because  the  east-bound 
traftic  several  times  exceeds  the  west-bound.  To  the  districts  where 
the  east-bound  bnsiness  surpasses  the  west-bound  in  the  largest  meas- 
ure the  west-bound  rates  are  the  lowest.  Hence  it  is  found  that  the 
coal  rates  to  Lake  INlichigan  ports  are  almost  always  higher  than  those 
to  Lake  Superior  ports. 

Not  very  much  value  is  to  be  attached  to  a  simple  average  of  the  rates 
of  a  season.  The  variations  are  so  great  as  to  render  such  an  average 
very  misleading.'    To  make  the  matter  clear,  resort  will  be  had  to  a 

'  Marine  Record,  Vol.  XX,  No.  20,  p.  9. 
-  These  charges  were  reduced  in  1897. 

3  The  following  table,  giving  the  rates  per  ton  on  hard  coal  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago, 
will  show  how  great  and  frequent  the  variations  are : 


^ia-^-   1    Ce.ts. 

Week  end- 
ing- 

Cents. 

Weekend- 
ing- 

Cents. 

Weekend- 
1        ing- 

Cents. 

Apr.  25 

MaT     2 

9 

16 

23 

30 

June    6...... 

13 

20 

40 

12 

50 

50 
50  to  60 

GO 
60  to  50 

50 

June  27 

July     4 

is!!!!! 

25 

^"^^  1::;:: 

15 

22 

50 

50  to  40 

40 

40  to  30 

30 

30  to  25 

20 

20 

20 

Aug.  29 

Sept.    5 

in!!!!! 

26 

Oct.      3 

10 ...... 

17 

24 

20 
20 
20 

IS 

20 

20 

20  to  30 

30 

Oct.    31 

i  Nov.     7 

14 

21 

Dec.  5  to' 
close 

1 
1 

30 
30 
30 
30  to  40 
60 

60 

(Report  of  Buffalo  Merchants'  Exchange,  1896,  p.  80.) 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


87 


simple  illustration.  Suppose  there  n^ere  but  two  rates  during  a  season, 
one  20  and  the  other  40  cents.  A  simple  average  for  the  season  would 
be  30  cents.  Under  certain  conditions  this  average  would  be  very  mis- 
leading. If  1,000,000  tons  were  carried  for  20  cents  per  ton  and  but 
300,000  for  40  cents  per  ton,  an  average  of  the  rates  actually  paid  would 
be  much  less  than  30  cents  per  ton,  namely,  21.81  cents.  Where  the 
variations  in  rates  are  very  great,  account  must  be  taken  of  the  quanti- 
ties shipped  as  well  as  the  rates;  that  is,  a  weighted  average  must  be 
secured'. 


Appendix  IV. 
Table  I. 

Lale  sJtipmcnts  of  coal  fioin  Jhiffalo. 
[Data  furnished  by  William  Thurstone,  secretary  Bnti'alo  Merchants'  Exchange.] 


Tear. 

Anthracite. 

Bituminous. 

Blossburg. 

Total. 

Tons. 
510,443 
344,  500 
389,  722 
321, 455 
405,  074 
306,172 
550,  646 
554, 670 
795,  240 
995,  500 

1,  467,  778 
1,431,081 
1, 428,  086 
1,531,210 
1,894,060 
2,514,906 
2, 151,  670 
2, 157,  810 

2,  365,  895 
2,  822, 230 
2, 681, 173 
2,  475,  255 
2,612,768 
2,  379,  068 
2, 229,  329 

Tons. 

Tons. 
60,  000 
40,  000 
50.  UOO 
40,  000 
50,  000 
25,  000 
30,  000 
35,  000 
30,  000 
32.  000 
... 

Tons. 
570, 443 

1874 

384, 500 

439,  720 

1876 

361,  455 

455,  074 

331.  172 

1879 

580,  646 

589,  670 

1881 

825  240 

1,027,500 

iggrj 

1885 

20,  000 
10,  000 
10,000 
5,000 
5,000 
5,000 
5,000 
5,000 
7,500 
7,500 
2,500 
6,000 
5,000 

1,448,086 

1.541,210 

1887 

8,706 
7,452 
11,673 
25,  872 
34,  066 
54,216 
15,  000 
2,500 
2,000 
15,000 
100,  000 

1,  912,  766 

2,  527,  358 

1889 

2,168,343 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893                             

2, 188,  682 
2,  404, 961 
2,  881, 446 
2,  703, 673 

1894 

1,485,255 

1895 

2,  617, 268 

1896 

2, 400, 068 

1897 

2, 334, 329 

Table  II. 


Coal  shipments,  Cuyahoga  customs  district. 
[Data  furnished  by  F.  A.  Scott,  assistant  secretary  Cleveland  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


City. 

1890. 

1891. 

1892. 

Cargo. 

Fuel. 

Foreign. 

Cargo. 

Fuel.     Foreign. 

Cargo.        Fuel. 

Foreign 

Cleveland 

Ashtabula 

Tons. 
880, 121 
492,  459 
298,  444 

53,  523 

Tons. 
275,  358 
87,  535 
1,500 
40,  000 

Tons. 
131,698 
44,  334 
16,914 
6,477 

Tons. 
989,  044 
241,  230 
273,  036 

Tons.     1    Tons. 
417.696     114.919 
239,894       25,173 
160.776        16.701 

Tons.      1    To7is. 

1,154,0.58  '  437,941 

561, 446  '  107,  883 

352,000  1       5,649 

Tons. 
136,  832 
56,  933 

27,  509 

Fairport 

123,  649       24,  935  1      8,  408 

114  738' 

'         t 1 

Total 

1.  724.  544 

404, 393 

199.  423 

1,626,959  !  843,301  i  165,201   2,182,242  j  551,473  |  221,274 

1                  1                    1                  1 

1  In  order  that  a  conception  may  be  gained  of  the  great  variations  in  rates  and. 
the  difference  in  rates  from  Lake' Erie  ports  to  the  various  upper  lake  ports,  the 
rates  on  hard  coal  for  the  season  of  1896  from  Buffalo  to  the  leading  receiving  ports 
will  be  given  in  Appendix  IV,  Table  XL 


88 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Coal  shipment,  Cinialioga  ci(i:itoi)is  dii^trici — Coutiuued. 


City. 

1893. 

1894. 

Cargo. 

Fuel.       1 

Foreign. 

Cargo,      j 

Fuel. 

Foieign. 

Cleveland 

Tom. 
1,  095,  567 
634, 600 
506, 723 
208,  014 
13,  886 

Tons. 
252,  606 
72,474 
7,045  t 

Tons. 

174,  384 
80,  579 
26,  426 
2,376 

Tons. 

807,507 
533,672 
327,805 
290,787  '. 
88,265  j 

Tons. 

205,  857 
74,413 
8,788 

Tons. 

104  530 

20,  025 
750 

Fairport 

2,642 

Total 

2, 458,  790 

332, 125  1 

283,  765 

2,  048,  036 

291,  700 

197,  099 

City. 

1895. 

1896. 

Cargo. 

Fuel.       j 

Foreign. 

Cargo, 

Fuel. 

Foreign. 

Cleveland 

Tons.      1 
833,968 
665,365  : 
262,698  : 
209,080  I 
89,  530 

Tons. 
291,  656  i 
209,443 
18,  543 
15,000 
12,000 

Tons. 
153,  003 
104, 391 
13,816 

Tons. 
1,295,254 
623,212 
316,  076 
398,717    . 
58,136 

Tons 
293,  718 
411,604 
838 

Tons. 
214  737 

15  ''48 

Fairport 

Conneaut 

69,  831 

12,  006 

153,  368 

Total 

2,060,641 

546,642 

341, 041 

2,691,395 

1 

718, 166 

454  084 

City. 

1897. 

Cargo. 

Fuel. 

Foreign, 

Cleveland 

1, 442, 702 
751,  289 
195,000 
185,318    . 
28,970 

365,751 

200,  508 

47 

219  240 

Lorain  ... 

35  742 

Conueaut           .           -                           

1,333 

126  384 

Total 

2,603,279 

567,  639 

Table  III. 
Summary  of  coal  shipments  from  Cuyahoga  customs  district. 


Year. 

Cleveland. 

Ashtabula. 

Lorain. 

Fairport. 

Conneaut. 

Total. 

1886 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 
1,  079, 784 

1887 

703,  506 
1,000,000 
1  825,  030 
1, 287, 177 
1,  521,  659 
1.728,831 
1,  522, 557 

i;  278!  627 
1,803,709 
2, 027,  693 

1,433,035 
1  855  260 

1888 

1889 

1489,585 

624, 328 

,    506,297 

726,262 

787,  653 

679, 121 

979, 199 

1, 105,  547 

1,  012,  758 

1 273,  671 

316,  858 
450, 513 
385, 158 
540, 194 
356,  618 
295, 057 
332, 164 
230, 789 

t  59,  438 
100,  000 
156,  992 
114,738 
210,390 
291,  537 
224, 080 
398,  717 
185,  318 

s 

2,  020,  996 

1890 

I 

1 1,  647,  724 
2  328  360 

1891 

1892 

2  954  989 

1893 

13,  886 
91,665 
171,  363 
223,  510 
256,  687 

3  074  680 

1894 

1895 

2  948  324 

1896 

3, 863,  645 

1897 

*  Shipments  from  Clevel.ind  for  1887-88  include  small  quantities  of  bituminous  coal  shipped  by  rail. 
The  figures  were  obtained  from  seventeenth  annual  Report  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey, 
Part  III,  pp,  343,  344,  The  totals  of  the  district  for  1886-87  were  obtained  from  Ibid.,  p.  344.  The  dagger 
indicates  census  figures  of  Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part  II,  p.  316.  The  remainder 
of  the  table  is  a  summary  of  the  preceding  table. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 
Table  IV. 


89 


Table  shoivimj  the  tonnage  of  lalce  coal  shipped  from  Ohio,  West  Virginia,  Maruland,  and 
Pennsi/lrania  mines  during  1S96,  also  the  variety,  and  how  it  was  distributed. "" 


Lake  ports. 


Pennsylvania. 


Anthracite.     Bituminous. 


Ohio. 
Bituminous. 


Buffalo,  N.  Y 

Erie,  Pa  

Coniieaut,  (_)Iiio  .. 
Ashtabula,  Ohio  , 
Fairport,  Ohio  ... 
Cleveland,  Ohio.. 

Lorain,  Ohio 

Huron,  Ohio 

Sandusky,  Ohio . . 
Toledo,  Ohio..'--. 


Total . 


Lake  ports 


Buffalo,  XT  .... 
Erie,  Pa 

Conneaut,  Ohio  .. 
Ashtabula,  Ohio  . 
Fairport.  Ohio  . . . 
Cleveland,  Ohio.. 

Lorain,  Oliio 

Huron.  Ohio 

Sanduskv.  Ohio. . 
Toledo,  (jhio 


2,  683,  560 
492, 162 


882,062  :. 

184,933  i. 

291,178  !. 

1,037,242  |. 

396,491  |. 
1,4.3:!,  790 


,905 


104,  587 
137,235 
106,  528 
271,  033 
647,  652 


4,  337, 815 


1,  267,  035 


West  Virginia. 
Bituminous. 


Maryland. 
Bituminous. 


12, 178 
38,  206 


57,  626 
10,  313 
40, 789 


Foreign  ports. 


Domestic  ports. 


Bitumi- 
nous. 


682, 062 

2. 311 

200,  612 

71,  781 


2,  400, 068 
491,161 


110,729 
15,  248 


0,  220 
22.  308 


Bitum: 
nous. 


I      Total 
Fuel  for    [  amount  of 
vessels.     1        lake 

I    tonnage. 


48,  504 
61,010 
840,  502 
354,  579 
,  179,  570 
120,  871 
244, 135 
257,811 
629.  763 


200,000 

3,  565,  622 

134,118  t 

677, 095 

29,556 

291, 178 

124,959  j 

1,  037, 242 

55.728  ! 

410,307 

286,  284 

1, 576.  583 

137,  235 

12,  055 

257,  059 

17,  320 

281,351 

55, 584 

TOT,  655 

Total . 


,229       3,736,745 


3,  720 


.941,327 


Total  lake  shipments,  8,941,327  tons. 
Total  lake  shipments  (bituminous  coal),  5,765,605  tons. 

Shipped  to  foreign  ports  (anthracite  and  bituminous  coal),  1,396,633  tons;  to  domestic  ports,  6,627,974 
tons. 

*  This  table  was  furnished  by  E.  M.  Haseltine,  chief  inspector  of  mines  of  Ohio.  I  fear  these  figures 
are  very  inaccurate;  for  instance,  the  shipments  of  bltuminon.s  coal  from  Buffalo  co)ild  not  have  been 
so  large  as  reported. 

Table  V. 

Shipments  of  coal  from  lake  ports  from  1S90  to  1896  inclusive.'' 


Lake  ports. 

1890. 

1891. 

1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895.      1      1896. 

Buffalo,K.Y 

Tons.      I       Tons. 

2, 044, 134  1  2,  365,  895 

129,304         586,990 

Tons. 

2, 852,  330 

567, 028 

Tuns. 
2, 703,  673 
625, 023 
23. 184 
787,  653 
234,  089 

■    Tons. 

2,  485,  255 
711, 928 
89,  023 
669,  735 
300,  923 
997,  513 
303,  690 
213,  595 
261,  363 
836,232 

Tons.      1     Tons. 
2,620,768  !  3,-565,622 

Ashtabula,  Ohio 

Fairport,  Ohio 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

452,  394  ,      386,  375 
63,  360           66, 914 

726,  267 
114,738 

998,  772  :  1,  037,  242 
325,  064         410.  307 
1,055,480  )  1,576,583 
2T7,660  :      137,235 
208,000  :      257,059 
223  134  '      281   351 

Lorain, Ohio 

Huron,  Ohio 

Sandusky  Ohio  . 

227, 181 
150,  000 
271,  540 
940, 000 

288,811 
200, 000 
157,  571 
947, 288 

.351.168         526,405 
240,000         227,444 
1.57,515  !       195,276 
858,935  !      938,533 

Toledo,  Ohio 

716^099         707,655 

Total 

5,  200, 449 

7,  318,  234  1  8,  941, 327 

This  table  was  furnished  by  K.  M.  Haseltine. 


90 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE, 


Keceipts  of  coal  at  Chicago  hy  lake  and  rail  (net  tons).' 


Year. 

Anthracite. 

Eastern  bituniinou,s. 

Lake.      1       Kail. 

Lake. 

Kail. 

187-> 

Ton.<!.              Tons. 
495  765 

Tons. 
90,  820 
199, 107 
257, 200 
273,  894 
338,  426 
358,  713 
404,  447 
282,  469 
288,  987 
288. 161 
287,  794 
214.488 
243, 188 
206,  817 
166, 762 
123,221 
115,862 
53,  684 
40,  766 

Tons. 

1873 

538  837    . 

1874 

404,383    

1875 

1876 

373,146    

446  04G 

1877.   .             . 

1878 

325^  55.'!    . 

1879 

464  360 

1880                                

457' 317  f 

1881 

1882  ....           

663,  785           447,  636 

738,  723           506,  688 

820,  002           627,  806 

741,  866  ,        613,  054 

768,164  j        616,997 

853,1. '58'         845,386 

1,242,044  j         702,7.37 

1,283,811  ,         408,514 

1,236,021           346,101 

1,310,347           .543,538 

1,475,237  '        649,826 

1,424,8.53           668,767 

1,277,191  :        528,351 

1,269.512           519,685 

1,319,693           641,000 

1,233,771           542,629 

390,212 

1883 

612,  462 
790  169 

1885 

1886 

888,771 
1,196,324 

1887 

1888 

803,  552 

780,  249 

976,  816 

1,218,616 

1890  .   .   . 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 .     . 

1895 

872  198 

1896 

913,311 
1  174  231 

1897 

*  Reports  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade  down  to  liut  not  including  1882.  The  receipts  by  lake 
are  based  upon  the  custom-house  records ;  the  receipts  l>y  rail  are  furnished  bv  the  railroad  companies. 
From  1882  to  1895  (inclusive  of  both  dates)  the  figures  were  obtained  from  Mineral  Kesources  of  the 
United  States;  the  statements  were  furnished  by  the  Chicago  bureau  of  coal  statistiis  and  are 
vouched  for  as  accurate.  Bituminous  receipts  by  rail  since  1890  include  receipts  by  both  lake  and 
rail  of  Pennsylvania,  Oliio,  West  Virginia,  and  Kentucky  coal;  lake  receipts  are  now  very  small  and 
are  not  kept  separate  by  the  Chicago  bureau  of  coal  statistics.  Receipts  for  1896  and  1897  were 
furnished  to  me  directly  by  this  bureau. 

Table  VII. 

Beceipis  of  coal  at  Milwaukee  by  lake  and  rail.* 


1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 


31,  608 
24,  860 
42,313 
44.  503 
36,  369 
66,  616 
74,  568 
92,  992 
87,  690 
122,  865 
175,  526 
210, 194 
229,  784 
177,  655 
228,  674 
188, 444 
253,  640 
237,  332 
325,  281 


Rail. 


Total. 


11,082  :  188,737 

15,962  244,636 

11,957  j  200,401 

11,144  264,784 

3,658  I  239,667 

25,559  I  350,840 


Tons. 
300,  245 
450,  005 
510,  493 
550,  861 
623,018 
710,  736 
714,  242 
724,  594 
961, 164 
907,  743 
903,  659 
,  006,  656 
,  210,  865 
,117,448 
,  229,  310 
,  336,  603 
,  487,  483 
.  492,  278 


Tons. 
68,  323 
100,  022 
83,  349 
61,  723 
81,148 
65,  014 
45, 439 
118,385 
161,  989 
72,  935 
92,  999 
149,  377 
163,  549 
132,  284 
107,  736 
109,820 
100,  312 


Tom. 

368,  568 

550,  027 

593, 842 

612,  584 

704, 166 

775,  750 

759,  681 

842,  979 

1, 12.3, 153 

980,  678 

996,  658 

1,156,033 

1,374,414 

1,  249,  732 

1,  337,  046 

1,  446,  423 

1,  587, 795 

1,501,577 


*  Compiled  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  Milwaukee  Chamber  of  Commerce.    Lake  receipts  are 
based  upon  the  custom-house  record.s. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


91 


Tahi.k  VIII. 


Receipts  of  coal  at  Dulnth  and  Superior. 


Tear. 

Anthracite. 

Bitn- 
luiiious. 

Total. 

Tear. 

Anthracite. 

Bitu- 
minous, 

Total. 

1878 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 
31,000 

1 
1888 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 
1  535  000 

1880 

60,  000 
103, 000 
260, 000 
420, 000 
372,  COO 
592, 000 
736,  000 
912, 000 

1890 

1,780,000 
1,  776, 000 
1,812,561 
2,126,781 

1882 

1892 

531  547       1   281.  (lU 

1883 

1893 

571,915 
562,  222 
489,495 
496, 169 

1,  554,  866 
1, 448,  509 
1, 165,  387 
1, 279,  523 

2,  010,  731 
1  654  882 

1885 

1895 

1887 

*  Down  to  1892  the  statements  were  compiled  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  Dulnth  Board  of  Trade ; 
from  1891  tlie  receipts  were  obtained  from  the  Keview  of  the  Trade  and  Commerce  of  Dulutli,  com- 
piled by  the  Duluth  Chamber  of  Commerce,  for  year  ending  December  31. 1896,  p.  9.  The  statements 
of  the  Duluth  Board  of  Trade  are  based  on  the  custom-house  records;  those  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce were  furnished  by  the  coal  companies. 

Taui.e  IX. 

Average  of  daily  tale  rates  on  hard  coal  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago,  Dulnth,  and  Toledo.^ 


Tear. 

Chicago. 

Dulnth. 

Toledo. 

Tear. 

Chicago. 

Duluth. 

Toledo. 

1886 

$0.87 
1.05 
.86 
.52 
.62 
.56 

$0.62 
.70 
.65 
.41 
.43 
.29 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

$0.59 

.49 

.46 

.59 

36 

$0.43 
.29 
.25 
.24 
.24 
,26 

$0.27 

$0.35 
.41 
.27 
.33 

.25  j 

'^5 

1889 

1890 

25 

1891 

1897 

;::;:::      :29 

*  Prepared  by  The  Marine  Review,  of  Cleveland. 
Chicago  and  Detroit  rate  about  the  same  as,  Toledo 
handled  without  charge  to  vessel. 


Rate  to  Milwaukee  about  2i  cents  less  than, 
rate.     Coal  of  all  kinds  shipped  in  net  tons,  and 


T.MU.E    X. 


A  vera</c 


of  daily  rates  on  soft  coal  from  Ohio  ports  to  Milwaukee,  Kscanaha,  Dulnth, 
Green  Bay,  and  Manitotvoc* 


Milwau- 
kee, a 


$0.83 
1.06 
.84 
.54 
.64 
.61 
.58 
.48 
.485 
.54 
.335 


Esca- 
naba. 


ath. 

Green 
Bay. 

Mani- 
towoc. 

78 

66 

59 

49 

4Q 

43 
38 
375 
365 
295 
26 

$0.55 
.50 
.495 
.50 
.325 
.30 

$0. 49 

:2 

.51 
.32 
.31 

*  Prepared  by  The  Marine  Review,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
a  Chicago  rate  about  the  same  as  Milwaukee. 


92 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Table  XI. 
Lake  freights  on  hard  coal  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago  and  other  ports  in  1896.* 


AVeek  ending- 


Apr. 
May 


Chicao 


40 
40 
40 
50 
50 
50  to  60 


July 

Aug. 

Sept. 


13 60  to  50 

20 50 

27 50 

4 1  50  to  40 

11 40 

18 !  40  to  30 

25 1  30 

1 30  to  25 


20 

20  to  30 

30 


Dec.  5  to  close 


Milwau- 
kee. 


^^^^       Glad- 
Superior.     «tone. 


40 
40 

40 : 
to  50 : 

45  I 

to  55  I 
55  ! 

to  45  ! 
45 
45  1 

to  85 
35  I 

to  30  ' 
30  I 

to  25  1 
20  1 
20  i 
20  ' 
20 
20 
20 
20  1 
20  , 
20  ' 
20  i 

to  30 


30 
30 
to  40 
60 
60 


30 


30  to  25 
25 
25 
25 
25 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
30 
50 
50 


25 

1 

t 

25 

...:.J^::::::::::- 

35 

25 

25 

*  This  statement  shows  the  ruling  freight  rates  on  coal  per  net  ton,  in  cents,  from  BufiTalo  to  the 
ports  named  during  the  season  of  1896  for  the  weeks  ending  on  the  dates  8])ecilied.  Coal  is  handled 
without  charge  to  the  vessel.     (Keport  of  Buflalo  Merchants'  Excliange,  1896,  pp.  80,  81.) 


Table  XII. 
Shipments  of  coal  from  Chicago.* 


Tear. 

Anthracite. 

Bituminous. 

Total. 

1883  .  . 

Tons. 
493,  860 
585,  753 
632,  274 

451,  869 
559, 560 
598, 707 
502,  865 

/   576, 665 

\   553, 245 

606,  709 

659,  942 

682,  277 

452,  967 
377,  710 
319,  791 

Ions.    ■ 

T071S. 

1884 

1885 

1886  . 

539, 184 
1,  001,  477 
872, 631 
703, 743 
951,  678 
824,  349 
737,  346 
815,  682 
719, 382 
515, 165 
621, 598 
593, 786 

991  053 

1887 

1888  .  .   . 

1  471  338 

1889 

l!  206,  608 

1890 

1,  528,  343 

1891 

1892 

1  475,624 

1893 

1,401,659 

1894 

1895 

999,  308 
913, 577 

1896 

1897 

819,  686 

*  Down  to  1896  the  figures  were  obtained  from  the  Mineral  Resources  of  the  United  States.  The 
figures  for  1890  given  in  Mineral  Resources  for  1891,  p.  195,  differ  from  those  given  in  Mineral  Resources 
1889-90,  p.  160.  The  lower  figures  are,  I  believe,  the  corrected  ones.  These  figures  were  furnished  by 
the  Chicago  Bureau  of  Coal  Statistics.  The  figures  for  1896  were  fumi.shed  to  me  directly  by  this 
bureau.  .Shipments  of  bituminous  coal  down  to,  but  not  including,  1895  included  coke.  Shipments 
of  coke  amounted  to  279,874  tons  in  1895,  and  325,362  tons  in  1896. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

Tahlk  XIII. 
Shipments  of  coal  from  Milwaukee, a 


93 


Tear. 

Net  tons. 

Tear. 

Net  Ions. 

Tear. 

Net  tons. ! 

269,277  1 
284,803 
295,439 
453,837 
413,408  1 
522,  618  1 
600,  888 

Tear. 

Net  tons. 

1871 

22, 960 
24,  872 
26,  515 
27.619 
39, 172 
44,  409 
63, 025 

1878  

61, 041 
58,560 
65,  390 
121,  885 
164,  444 
235,  771 
205,  061 

1885 

1892 

469  144 

1872 

1879 

1886 

1873 

1880 

1887 

1894 

432, 768 
640,  470 
446,  683 

1874 

1881 

1882 

1875 

1877 

1884 

a  Compiled  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  Milwaukee  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


PART  Y. 

THE  LUMBER  BUSINESS  AND  LAKE  TRANSPORTATION. 

Of  the  commodities  carried  in  large  (juautities  upon  the  Great  Lakes, 
lumber  alone  remains  to  be  treated.  The  lumber  traffic,  in  striking- 
contrast  with  the  ore,  coal,  and  the  tionr  and  grain  business,  is  waning.' 
Because  of  the  meageruess  of  data,  the  total  movement  of  forest  products 
on  the  lakes  can  not  be  presented  for  a  series  of  years.  That  there  has 
been  a  falling  off  in  the  movement  of  this  important  commodity  is, 
however,  clearly  shown  by  tlie  receipts  of  lumber  by  lake,  at  the  great 
lumber  marts  of  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Buffalo,  Touawauda,  Cleveland, 
Toledo,  and  Detroit.' 

The  decline  in  the  movement  of  forest  products  on  the  Creat  Lakes 
is  largely  due  to  the  destruction  of  forests  of  white  and  Norway  pine 
on  the  shores  of  the  lakes  and  on  the  banks  of  the  logging  streams 
flowing  into  the  lakes.  The  enormous  drafts  that  have  been  made  dur- 
ing half  a  century  upon  the  once  seemingly  unlimited  supplies  of 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota  have  in  recent  years  well  nigh 
exhausted  the  forests  near  the  lakes  and  on  the  banks  of  the  streams 
capable  of  floating  logs.  Stream  after  stream  has  sent  down  its  last 
logs.  The  mills  at  Saginaw  and  at  other  i^oints  on  the  Huron  shore  of 
the  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan  are  now  in  a  large  measure  supplied 
with  logs  rafted  from  the  Georgian  Bay  district  of  Ontario.'  The 
Kalamazoo,  the  Grand,  the  Betsie,  and  the  Bear  rivers  of  western 
Michigan  have  ceased  to  be  logging  streams,  and  the  White,  Muskegon, 
and  the  Fere  Marquette  will  soon  Join  them.  The  Wolf  River  of  Wis- 
consin, that  once  carried  down  large  quantities  of  good  factory  pine, 

1  The  statistics  of  this  traffic  are  even  more  unsatisfnctory  than  those  of  the  coal 
business.  It  would  be  futile,  therefore,  to  attempt  to  set  forth  the  pn-sent  volume, 
or  the  jiTowth  and  decline  of  the  total  movement  of  lumber  on  the  lakes.  It  is  not 
surprising  that  the  statistics  of  the  lumber  traffic  should  be  unsatisfactory,  for  the 
products  of  the  forest  are  numerous  and  varied  and  the  lumber  business  is  widely 
scattered  and  in  many  hands.  A  single  unit  of  measurement  usually  promotes 
accuracy.  Such  a  unit  is  impossible  where  the  j)roducts  are  as  diverse  as  posts, 
telegraph  poles,  shingles,  and  lnm1)er.  Some  unit  of  weight  might  be  selected,  but 
lumber  is  not  bought  and  sold  by  weight,  and  if  weight  were  used  as  a  basis  of 
measurement  no  idea  of  bulk  would  be  conveyed,  for  there  is  vast  ilititereuce  in  the 
weight  of  dry  and  green  lumber. 

-  For  the  receipts  of  these  cities,  see  Appendix  V,  Tables  I-VII.  There  is  no  reason 
for  inferring  that  the  aggregate  receipts  of  these  ports  now  form  a  less  proportion 
of  the  total  receipts  of  the  lake  ports  than  formerly. 

•  It  is  estimated  that  the  following  importations  of  logs  were  made  during  1896,  a 
poor  year  in  the  lumber  business: 

Feet. 

At  Saginaw 146,  338,  400 

At  Detroit » 20,  269,  000 

At  East  Tawas 19,  680,  000 

At  Alpena 27,472,446 

At  Cheboygan 40,  000,  000 

Total 253,759,846 

Marine  Review,  Jan.  7, 1897,  p.  13.) 
9 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  95 

will  soon  tloat  uo  logs,  and  the  cut  of  timber  in  the  Green  Bay  shore 
district  is  on  the  decline. 

With  the  depletion  of  the  forests  of  white  and  Norway  pine  contigu- 
ous to  the  lakes  and  near  the  rivers  flowing  into  the  lalies,  the  trans- 
portation situation  has  been  radically  altered.  As  the  Inmbernieu 
have  been  forced  to  go  farther  and  farther  into  the  interior,  the  rail- 
roads have  found  it  correspondingly  easier  to  compete  with  the  lake 
carriers.  This  has  followed  because  in  a  great  many  cases  it  has  not 
paid  to  haul  the  logs  to  the  logging  streams  flowing  into  the  lakes  or  to 
transport  them  directly  to  the  mill  at  the  lake  side.  The  former  plan  has 
also  been  growing  in  disfavor  for  other  reasons.  Logs  in  some  districts 
now  have  considerable  value  and  a  good  many  are  lost  in  floating  them 
to  the  mills.  Then,  too,  there  may  be  delays  in  driving  the  logs  because 
of  ice  or  a  lack  of  water.  Now,  as  the  cost  involved  in  moving  the  logs 
from  the  remote  districts  to  the  lake  shore  is  often  suflicient  to  prevent 
such  movement,  the  logs  are  sawed  at  mills  located  at  interior  points. 
From  these  interior  nulls  the  lumber  generally  goes  to  market  by  rail, 
for  the  cost  of  shipping  by  the  combined  rail  and- water  route  with  its 
charges  for  transshipment  is  greater  than  that  by  the  all-rail  lines. 

There  are  also  other  factors  that  make  it  advantageous  to  ship  by  the 
all-rail  lines  from  the  interior  mills.  The  railroads  have  better  termi- 
nals in  the  large  ports.  This  factor  is  often  of  suflicient  importance  to 
determine  whether  lumber  is  to  go  by  the  all-rail  or  lake  and  rail  lines. 
With  the  rapid  increase  of  the  population  of  many  of  the  lake  cities, 
the  local  trade  has  grown  wonderfully,  and  in  some  instances  now 
exceeds  the  out-of  town  or  wholesale  business.'  The  growth  of  the 
retail  business  is  of  significance,  because  it  necessitates  the  delivery 
of  lumber  to  localities  remote  from  the  docks.  To  avoid  the  large 
expense  involved  in  the  cartage,  lumber  yards  are  established  in  the 
outlying  districts  and  suburbs.  These  yards  find  it  advantageous  to 
receive  their  stocks  directly  by  rail,  particularly  where  there  is  no  extra 
charge  for  switching.  In  cities  covering  a  vast  extent  of  territor^^,  the 
cost  of  delivering  bulkj^  articles,  such  as  coal  and  lumber,  by  team  from 
a  central  point,  often  forms  a  large  proportion  of  the  price  paid  for  the 
commodities.  It  is  therefore  higldy  desirable  to  carry  such  commodi- 
ties as  near  the  point  of  consumption  as  possible  by  cheaper  means  of 
transportatiou.     The  railroads  furnish  this  economical  form  of  carriage. 

Transportation  by  rail  has  still  other  points  in  its  favor.  An  order 
for  a  special  class  of  lumber  can  be  sent  to  a  mill  or  scattered  among 
different  mills  and  readily  filled.  It  is  unnecessary  to  purchase  a 
whole  shipload  of  one  or  more  kinds  of  lumber  in  order  to  lay  in  a  stock 
of  a  certain  class.  Then,  too,  the  lumber  comes  to  the  yard  on  cars, 
from  which  it  can  be  easily  handled.  To  a  large  extent  it  can  be  taken 
directly  to  the  consumer  from  the  car,  thus  avoiding  the  expense  of 
movement  in  the  yard  and  j)iling.  Often  all  the  expense  and  delay 
incident  to  handling  lumber  in  the  yard  at  the  distributing  point  is 
obviated,  for  the  cars  can  be  rebilled  to  the  country  dealer.  It  thus 
appears  that  shipment  by  rail  has  three  distinct  advantages  to  ofter : 
(1)  expedition;  (2)  economy  of  labor  in  handling;  (3)  the  dealer  can 
obtain  just  what  he  wants  and  no  more,  and  thus  is  not  forced  to  unbal- 
ance his  stock,  as  he  is  obliged  to  do  when  buying  by  the  cargo.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  the  railroads  frequently  move  large  quantities  of  lumber. 

'  An  examination  of  Table  I,  Appendix  V,  will  show  the  extent  of  the  local  con- 
sumption in  Chicago.  In  1897,  the  receipts  of  lumber  aggregated  1,406,580  M.  feet, 
while  the  shipments  were  but  574,743  M.  feet,  or  very  much  less  than  one-half  the 
receipts. 


96 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Certain  classes  of  lumber  in  the  yards  become  exhausted,  and,  as  there 
are  no  boats  moving,  stocks  must  be  replenished  by  rail;  or  the  demand 
may  be  greater  than  was  expected,  making  necessary  accessions  by  rail. 
Altered  methods  of  doing  business  at  the  mills  also  in  part  explain 
the  greater  rail  movement.  It  is  becoming  the  custom  to  sort  lumber 
where  it  is  sawed,  and  it  is  therefore  possible  to  fill  orders  of  consumers 
and  country  dealers  directly  from  the  mills.  These  consignments  gen- 
erally go  by  rail.  Formerly  the  sorting  was  done  by  the  wholesalers 
at  the  great  distributing  centers  about  the  lakes,  who  bought  supplies 
by  the  cargo  and  often  made  a  large  portion  of  their  profits  by  a  nice 
manipulation  of  the  mixed  stocks  received.  This  revolution  in  handling 
lumber  has  worked  itself  out  very  fully  on  the  Saginaw  River,  and  a 
description  of  the  change,  in  the  words  of  Mr.  E.  D.  (Jowles,  will  be 
inserted : 

A  few  years  ago  the  manufacturer,  with  hardly  an  exception,  sold  his  product  by 
the  cargo,  and  it  was  shipped  by  water  to  other  cities,  where  the  finer  manipulation 
of  the  stock  made  business  for  large  capital  Jiud  armies  of  mechanics  and  laborers. 
Now  the  manufacturer  sorts  his  stock  and  sells  it  in  car  lots  as  wanted  by  the  con- 
sumer. Ill  other  words,  he  combines  the  business  of  wholesaler  with  tliat  of  the 
retailer,  and  this  accounts  in  large,  measure  for  the  falling  off  in  lake  shipments. 
Local  dealers  who  do  not  operate  manufacturing  plants  also  have  established  yards 
and  buy  lumber  at  interior  points  in  the  State  and  on  this  river,  sort  it  up  or  convert 
it  into  box  material  or  plain  stock,  and  ship  it  out  by  rail  to  their  consumers. 

The  extent  of  the  change  in  the  kind  of  transportation  employed  iu 
moving  the  lumber  of  the  Saginaw  River  to  market  is  made  clear  by 
the  subjoined  table: 

Lake  and  rail  s/tijnwen/s  of  liunhcr  from  Saginaw  Rirer  points.  * 


Feet. 
149,  G72,  900 
176,500,000 
261,  900,  000 
304,  362,  500 
352,  500,  OUO 
401,  847,  000 
408,  258, 000 


Feet.  I 
659,  565, 000  ' 
591,013.100 
486,  285,  000 
451,391,000 
432, 130,  000 
409,  972.  01)0 
404,577,000 


1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 


Feet. 
427,  490,  000 
369,  000,  000 
381,  450,  000 
393, 527, 000 
280,  572, 500 
379, 000,  000 


Feet. 
347,  866,  091 
173, 154,  000 
182,  600,  017 
136, 120,  632 
68,  743,  000 
89,137,511 


*  The  lumber  manufacturing  district  of  the  Saginaw  River  is  a  narrow  strip  of  land  less  than  half  a 
mile  wide  and  18  rnileslong.  'Within  this  area  there  lias  been  manufactured  a  larger  amount  of  lumber 
than  in  any  other  district  of  equal  area  in  the  world.  Since  1851,  22,943,072,900  feet  of  lumber  have 
been  cut.  The  rail  shipments  for  1897  are  estimated.  The  table  was  compiled  by  E.  D.  Cowles  and  is 
worthy  of  confidence. 

Perhaps  the  ultimate  destination  of  the  lumber  has  in  jiart  changed 
during  the  period  covered  by  the  table,  so  that  the  lake  carriers  are  not 
in  so  favorable  a  position  to  compete  for  it  as  formerly.  Upon  this 
point  no  information  is  at  hand. 

In  some  of  the  great  lumbering  districts  the  mills  are  now  kept  run- 
ning during  a  large  portion  of  the  year  on  hard  wood.  The  total  output 
of  the  districts  about  the  Great  Lakes  is  in  part  maintained  in  this  way. 
During  1897,  464,380,000  feet  of  hard-wood  lumber  were  produced. ^ 

The  change  from  pine  to  hard  wood  is  of  great  significance,  for  hard- 
wood logs  are  so  heavy  that  they  do  not  float;  and  they  are  therefore 
generally  sawed  at  interior  mills.  It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that 
the  lake  carriers  are  at  a  disadvantage  in  competing  with  the  railroads 
from  the  interior  mills,  for  the  local  rail  rates  to  the  shipping  ports  are 
high  and  the  lumber  must  be  transshipped. 


^  Northwestern  Lumberman,  January  22, 


p.  10. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE.  97 

Before  closiDg  tlie  discussion  of  the  declinlDg  movement  of  lumber 
on  tlie  lakes,  something  must  be  said  about  the  methods  of  transship- 
ment. Too  much  attention  can  not  be  given  to  this  subject,  for  it  may 
in  a  general  way  be  said  that  the  railroads  are  competing  most  success- 
fully for  those  commodities  whose  transshipment  charges  have  not  fallen 
rapidly.^  The  necessity  of  transfer  has  always  been  a  handicap  upon 
the  lake  carriers,  and  where  the  cost  of  transshipment  has  not  fallen  as 
freight  rates-  have  fallen  this  burden  has  been  an  increasing  one.  It 
may  be  said,  almost  without  qualification,  that  no  improvements  have 
been  made  in  handling  lumber  on  the  docks.  Everything  is  now  done, 
as  it  was  a  half  century  ago,  by  main  strength.  Practically  all  the 
work  is  accomplished  by  manual  labor.  Machinery  is  used  to  a  very 
limited  extent  in  hoisting  posts  and  ties  from  the  ship's  hold,  but 
lumber  is  still  handled  in  the  primitive  way. 

The  absence  of  mechanical  appliances  for  handling  forest  products 
is  no  doubt  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  most  of  these  products  do  not 
readily  lend  themselves,  by  reason  of  their  form,  to  mechanical  manipu- 
lation!^ However,  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  do  not  appear  to  be 
insuperable,  and  if  the  lumber  traflic  on  the  lakes  were  a  growing 
instead  of  a  declining  business,  and  in  the  hands  of  large  companies 
with  abundant  capital,  it  would  be  safe  to  predict  that  a  way  would  be 
found  to  reduce  the  cost  of  transshipment  by  the  larger  use  of  machin- 
ery. It  would  be  profitable,  if  a  large  volume  of  business  were  to  be 
handled,  to  expend  large  sums  upon  suitable  terminal  facilities.  Per- 
haps, in  order  to  accomplish  this  end,  some  changes  would  have  to  be 
made  in  the  vessels,  but  these  would  be  introduced.  Tlie  explanation 
of  the  persistence  of  the  primitive  methods  of  handling  lumber  is 
found  in  the  fact  that  the  lumber  trattic  on  the  lakes  is  declining,  and 
that  the  same  companies  seldom  own  the  mills,  fleets,  and  distributing 
yards.  The  greatest  economy  in  transshipment  is  found  where  the 
terminals  and  the  fleets  are  adapted  to  each  other,  and  this  adaptation 
is  most  easily  secured  where  entire  control  rests  in  one  management. 

A  treatment  of  the  lumber  trafhc  upon  the  lakes  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  some  description  of  the  lumber  fleet.  It  is  very  largely 
made  up  of  vessels  that  are  worthless  for  other  purposes.  When  a 
ship  is  no  longer  suitable  for  the  ore  or  flour  and  grain  traffic,  it  is  put 
into  the  lumber  business,  where  it  is  good  for  a  number  of  years  of 
service.  This  follows  from  the  fact  that  a  vessel  loaded  with  lumber, 
although  water-logged,  does  not  sink,  and  because  the  cargo  sustains 
but  little  damage  from  its  contact  with  the  water.  Many  of  the  small 
vessels  on  the  lakes  are  in  the  lumber  business.  They  can  navigate 
the  rivers  that  are  too  shallow  for  the  large  vessels.  Most  of  the  ves- 
sels of  the  old  schooner  fleet  have  been  transformed  into  barges  and 
are  now  engaged  in  the  lumber  traffic.  Towing  originated  in  the 
lumber  trade.  Mr.  John  S.  Noyes,  of  Buffalo,  was  the  pioneer  who 
made  this  important  departure.  When  the  railroads  were  i)ushed 
westward  to  the  principal  lake  ports,  in  the  early  fifties,  the  fine  pas- 
senger and  general  cargo  steamers  that  were  then  numerous  upon  the 
lakes  lost  a  profitable  business.  In  1861,  Mr.  Noyes  transformed  two 
of  these  ships,  which  had  long  been  idle,  into  barges.  These  vessels 
were  the  Empire  and  the  Sultana.  In  1862,  he  changed  another  vessel 
(the  St.  Lawrence)  into  a  barge.'    These  barges  were  towed  by  the  tug 

^For  loadiug  and  unloading  charges,  see  Appendix  V,  Table  VII. 
-  For  freight  rates,  see  Appendix  V,  Table  VIII. 
^Barges  were  at  first  called  "  Tows." 
H.  Doc.  277 7 


98  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

Reindeer.  Mr.  Noyes's  venture  proviDg  successful,  towing  increased 
rapidly,  and  about  1870  another  important  innovation  was  made;  tlie 
tugs  were  supplanted  by  a  i)ropeller,  which  also  carried  a  cargo.' 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  movement  of  lumber  on  the  lakes 
has  been  declining.  Before  many  years  it  may  be  expected  to  fall  oif 
rapidly.  Pine  must  continue  to  be,  as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  the 
main  reliance  of  the  vessel  owners.  The  supplies  that  can  be  drawn 
upon  are  about  as  follows: 

White  and  Norwav  pine:-  Feet. 

Lower  peninsula  of  Michigan 3,  000,  000,  000 

Upper  peninsula  of  Michigan 4,  000.  000,  000 

Wisconsin 10,000,000,000 

Minnesota 12,  000,  000,  000 

Province  of  Ontario 19,404,000,000 

Mr.  Andrews,  chief  fire  warden  of  Minnesota,  estimates  that  there 
are  20,26(;,475,00()  feet  of  pine  still  standing  in  iVlinnesota,''  and  others 
have  raised  his  estimate.  The  authorities  also  differ  on  the  amount  of 
standing  timber  in  Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  but  their  estimates  do  not 
vary  so  widely  as  in  the  case  of  Minnesota.  This  is  to  be  expected, 
for  the  i-esources  of  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  are  well  known,  while 
those  of  Minnesota  are  comparatively  unknown. 

As  the  output  of  pine  lumber  from  logs  cut  in  Michigan,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  Minnesota  during  1897  was  nearly  0,000,000,000  feet,  and  in 
prosperous  years  has  exceeded  8,000,000,000,'^  it  will  readily  be  seen 
that  the  timber  resources  of  these  states  will  soon  be  exhausted.^ 
With  the  depletion  of  the  timber  supplies  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  and  the  Province  of  Ontario,  the  movement  of  lumber  on 
the  lakes  will  lose  its  present  importance.^ 

In  addition  to  the  pine,  there  is  a  vast  amoujit  of  hemlock  and  hard 
wood  standing  in  ^Michigan  and  Wisconsin  and  a  limited  quantity  in 
Minnesota."  A  portion  of  the  lumber  sawed  from  this  timber  will  be 
carried  to  market  by  water.  But  the  bulk  of  the  hard- wood  lumber  will 
be  transijorted  by  rail,  for  reasons  that  have  already  been  given.  Hem- 
lock logs  can  be  floated  to  the  lake-side  mills,  but  a  large  portion,  per- 
haps the  lion's  share,  of  the  hemlock  will  be  taken  to  market  by  rail, 
for  the  good  timber  has  already  been  stripped  from  the  lake  side  and 
the  banks  of  the  streams.    The  better  growths  of  hemlock  are  now  sit- 

"For  this  historical  information  I  am  inflebted  to  Mr.  George  W.  Hotchjiiss,  who 
assisted  Mr.  Noyes  in  pushing  his  enterprise  to  success. 

-The  estimates  for  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota  are  those  of  Mr.  George 
W.  Hotchkiss,  and  the  estimate  for  Ontario  is  that  given  in  the  Report  of  the  Forest 
Wealth  of  Canada,  1895,  p.  182.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  all  statemcuts  covering  the 
amount  of  standing  timber  are  in  the  nature  of  things  merely  estimates.  Those 
here  given  are,  however,  made  by  persons  well  informed  about  the  timber  resources 
of  these  districts. 

It  must  not  be  inferred  that  all  the  lumber  cut  from  this  timber  may  be  carried 
over  the  lakes.  Much  of  it  is  so  far  removed  from  the  lake  shore  that  it  will  go  to 
market  by  rail. 

•  Northwestern  Lumberman,  July  3, 1897,  p.  3. 

^Vav  the  lumber  cut  at  the  mills  of  the  Northwest  since  1873,  see  Appendix 
V,  Table  IX.  The  figures  just  given  include  the  output  of  lumber  sawed  from  logs 
im}>orted  from  Ontario. 

"'The  fear  of  forest  iires  and  windstorms  in  a  measure  prcA^ents  the  owners  of  tim- 
ber from  reserving  it  for  the  future. 

''In  recent  years  there  has  been  some  traffic  in  Pacific-coast  lumber  and  shingles. 
This  business  will  probably  increase,  but  would  be  checked  by  the  construction  of 
the  Nicaragua  Canal. 

'According  to  the  estimates  made  by  Mr.  George  W.  Hotchkiss  the  hemlock  of 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin  combined  exceeds  the  pine  of  these  two  states,  and  the  hard 
wood  exceeds  the  liine  several  fold. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE,  99 

uated  well  back  from  the  loggiug  streams,  and  the  logs  are  therefore 
likely  to  be  sawed  at  the  interior  mills  and  the  lumber  taken  to  market 
by  rail. 

Estimates  of  the  amount  of  standinji-  pine  in  the  states  <'oiitit,aious 
to  the  lakes  have  been  given.  A  ])rediction  as  to  the  inroads  that  will 
be  made  into  this  supply  during  live  years  of  active  demand  has  been 
ventured  by  the  Northwestern  Lumberman,  and  will  be  inserted: 

The  pine  of  lower  Micliig;in  aud  the  upper  pctiinsuhi  of  that  State  will  be  well 
nigh  gone  [in  live  years].  A  few  of  the  old-mill  concerns  at  Menominee-Marinette 
will  still  be  sawing  ])ine,  but  the  majority  will  either  have  dismantled  their  mills  or 
will  be  keeping  them  alive  Ity  cutting  hemlock  and  the  hard  woods  and  working  up 
cedar  for  shingles.  The  mills  at  the  lesser  points  will  not  be  cutting  pine  live  years 
from  now.  Pine  production  Avill  have  been  driven  back  to  the  west  end  of  Lake 
Superior  and  into  northern  Minnesota.  The  red  oak  of  Wisconsin  will  have  been 
about  cleared  out.  Scattering  mills  throughout  the  uortheru  conutry  from  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  the  Soo  will  be  pounding  away  on  maple,  elm,  bass  wood,  hemlock,  etc., 
with  such  overlooked  groups  of  ]iine  as  may  be  encountered  in  scraping  the  land  of 
timber.  *  *  ^  Five  years  of  prosperity,  with  the  enormous  demand  whicli  will 
result,  will  cause  such  a  melting  away  of  the  northern  forest  resources  as  can  scarcely 
be  realized.' 

This  picture  may  be  somewhat  overdrawn;  but  if  the  prediction 
made  be  verified  forest  products,  which  rank  second  among  the  com- 
modities received  at  the  lake  ports  during  the  last  census  year,-  will 
fall  out  of  the  first  rank  and  be  classed  with  the  minor  commodities  five 
years  hence. 

What  may  be  hoped  for  from  attempts  to  reforest  the  pine  lands  can 
not  be  answered  satisfactorily,  for  on  this  point  the  authorities  differ. 
Some  hold  that  pine  does  not  grow  at  once  upon  laud  from  which  pine 
has  just  been  removed,  and  some  admit  that  pine  will  grow,  but  that 
the  first  growths  will  be  low,  scraggy,  and  full  of  knots,  and  therefore 
unfit  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber.  Other  auth(nnties  insist  that  good 
pine  can  at  once  be  reproduced  if  (1)  forest  fires  are  prevented  and  {2) 
the  young  sprouts  be  preserved  from  the  depredations  of  live  stock. 
In  support  of  their  contention  they  cite  the  experience  of  New  England. 
But  even  if  it  be  possible  to  restore  the  pine  it  would  require  a  long 
period  of  years  for  the  trees  to  attain  sufficient  size  for  the  manufacture 
of  lumber,  and  in  the  meantime  existing  supplies  would  long  have  been 
exhausted. 

Although  the  depletion  of  the  forests  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Min 
nesota  is  of  itself  of  great  moment  to  the  lake  carriers, .it  becomes  doubly 
important  because  of  its  secondary  effect.  For  years  the  railroads  run- 
ning out  from  the  upper  lake  ports  to  the  prairies  of  the  West  have 
found  in  lumber  a  w^est-bound  freight.  Oars  coming  in  with  grain  and 
live  stock  have  been  sent  back  loaded  with  lumber.     Lumber  has  long 


-Northwestern  Lumberman,  January  8,  1898,  p.  3.  Mr.  O.  S.  Whitmore,  formerly 
editor  of  Hardwood,  aud  Mr.  George  W.  Hotchkiss  in  the  main  agree  with  this  pre- 
diction. 

-  In  the  last  Census  Report  on  Transportation  by  Water,  coal  and  coke  were  grouped 
together,  and  their  combined  movement  just  about  equaled  that  of  lumber.  The 
figures  are  as  follows : 


1 
Eeceipts.     Shipments. 

Lumber . .     .   .         . .             . .       . . 

Tons.       1            Tons. 
6  857  257           5,  348,  398 

oke 

5,162.471  1        6,105,799 

The  receipts  aud  shipments  are  the  total  receipts  and  shipments  of  all  American 
lake  ports.     (Eleventh  Census,  Transportation  Business,  Part  II,  p.  308.) 


100 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


been  one  of  the  principal  west-bound  commodities.  Its  loss,  therefore, 
will  be  severely  felt.  The  failure  of  the  Northwestern  timber  supplies 
comes  at  a  very  ino[)portune  time  for  the  vessel  interests  of  the  lakes. 
The  railroads  running-  to  the  western  Gulf  ports  are  just  beginning  the 
struggle  for  the  grain  traffic  of  the  central  West.  The  exhaustion  of 
the  timber  resources  of  the  lake  region  means  that  the  great  treeless 
regions  of  the  West  will  be  forced  in  a  large  measure  to  obtain  their 
lumber  from  the  South. 

Tliis  means  that  the  north  and  south  bound  railroads  will  in  the  future 
be  assured  a  growing  north-bound  traffic,  and  as  a  result  they  will  be 
placed  in  a  position  where  they  can  compete  more  successfully  for  the 
grain  traffic  with  tlie  east  and  west  bound  railroads  leading  to  the  lakes. 
In  the  past  the  Gulf  railroads  have  been  hampered  by  a  lack  of  north- 
bound traffic,  but  in  the  future  tliey  will  be  assured  a  large  north-bound 
business  in  lumber.  Briefly  stated,  the  exhaustion  of  the  forests  of  the 
lake  country  will  mean  the  loss  of  west-bound  traffic  to  the  railroads 
reaching  the  lakes  and  a  gain  of  north-bound  traffic  by  the  railroads 
terminating  in  the  Gulf  ports.  The  former  railroads  will  therefore  be 
less  advantageously  situated  in  the  struggle  for  the  grain  business  now 
under  way,  and  the  latter  railroads  will  be  more  strongly  intrenched. 
The  significance  of  these  altered  relations  to  the  lake  carriers  scarcely 
needs  to  be  pointed  out.  It  means  that  less  grain  will  arrive  at  lake 
ports  to  be  carried  East_- 


Appendix  V. 

TABLES  RELATING  TO  THE  LUMBER  TRAFFIC. 

Table  I. 

Chicago  receipts  and  shipments  of  lumber  and  shingles  by  lake  and  rail.* 


Lumber. 


Shingles. 


Receipts 
by  lake. 


Receipts        Total        chinmBTits    Receipts  I  Receipts 
by  rail.       receipts.     Shipments,   ^jyi^te.  j   by  rail. 


Total 
receipts. 


Ship- 
ments. 


1881. 
1862. 

1863  < 

1864  ( 

1865  ( 

1866  ( 


1870. 
1871. 
1872 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 


Mfeet. 

254,  499 

235,  668 

295,  270 

392,  800 

480, 165 

614,  020 

687,  851 

830,  035 

965,  860 

967,  897 

979,  759 

984,  758 

1,017,319 

1,  020,  638 

993,  751 

1,  080,  599 

971,416 

1,002,501 

1,  093,  088 

1,351,149 

1,  419,  974  I 


Mfeet. 
7,995 
13,  640 
10,  404 
20,  501 
21,427 
33, 125 
42,  206 
52,  626 

62,  634 
29,  839 
39,  239 
54,  570 

166,  340 
102,  730 
66,  337 
66,  594 
68,  369 

63,  851 
87, 498 

118,  T29 
141,  805 


Mfeet. 

262, 494 

249,  308 

305,  674 

413,  301 

501,  592 

647, 145 

730, 057 

882,  661 

1,  028, 494 

997,  736 

1,  018,  998 

1,  039,  32S 

1, 183,  659 

1,123,368 

1,  060,  088 

1,  147,  193 

1,  039,  785 

1,  066,  452 

1,  180,  586 

1,  469,  878 

1,  .561,  779 


Mfeet. 
225, 372 
189,479 
189,  277 
221,799 
269,  496 
385,  353 
422, 313 
.518,973 
551,  989 
581,  533 
583,  490 
541,  222' 
417,  980 
561,  544 
619,  278 
628.  485 
576, 124 
586,  722 
626,735 
753, 179 


M. 

127,  803 
79,  296 
131,255 
152,  435 
133,  600 
193,  230 
197, 169 
234, 917 
297,  176 
366,  843 
350,  561 
401,346 
302,  623 
294,548  1 
365,490 
420,298  I 
456,404 
464,880 
605,941 
588,362  I 
583,340  ' 


19,  929 
56,  569 
117,  667 
202,  956 
212, 122 
217,258 
306,  323 
301,530 
246.  249 
308,  201 
223,  375 
215, 183 
215,410 
110,  573 
81,529 
86,  603 
82,  282 
66, 206 


M. 

127,  894 
79,  356 
131,255 
172, 364 
190, 169 
310,  897 
400, 125 
447,  039 
514,  434 
673, 166 
652,  091 
647,  595 
610,  824 
,')17, 023 
580,  673 
635, 708 
566,  977 
546,  409 
692,  544 
670,  644 
649,  546 


M. 

168,  302 
94, 421 
55, 761 
102,  634 
138, 497 
258,  351 
422,  339 
480,  930 
537, 497 
638, 317 
666,  247 
558, 385 
436,  827 
407,  505 
370, 196 
299,  426 
214,  389 
170,410 
123,  233 
146, 820 
134,375 


*  This  table  was  compiler!  from  the  reports  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  The  movements  by 
lake  are  based  upon  the  custom-house  records  and  the  movements  by  rail  were  obtained  directly  Irom 
the  railroad  companies.  The  tigures,  particularly  for  the  early  years,  do  not  reflect  with  the  greatest 
accuracy  the  movement  of  lumber  and  shingles  "to  and  from'  Chicago.  The  limited  receipts  by  the 
canal  are  included  in  the  receipts  by  rail.  In  recent  years  a  large  amount  of  lumber  has  been  received 
from  the  South  by  rail. 

a  Board  of  trade  year,  which  ended  three  months  after  the  calendar  year. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


101 


Chicago  receipts  and  slnpments  of  lumber  and  shingles  by  lake  and  rail — Continued. 


Eecelpts     Receipts        Total 
by  lake.       by  rail.       receipts. 


Shipments. 


Shingles. 


Receipts    Receipts       Total 
by  lake,     by  rail,     receipts. 


Mfeet. 
1, 657,  823 
1,  872,  976 
1,  685,  719 
1,  610, 166 
1,  504, 186 
1,  427,  795 
1,457,173 
1,  626,  408 
1,  447,  399 
1, 359,  921 
1,359,315 
1, 443,  769 
955,  280 
1,  075,  763 
1,  073,  847 
779,  292 
917,  212 


M  feet. 
221,  099 
244.  569 
224, 191 
212, 149 
240,  706 
315, 189 
422,  995 
440,  519 
462,  044 
581,  471 
686, 103 
760, 105 
645,  397 
486,  764 
564,  283 
507,  351 
489,  368 


Mfeet. 
1,  878,  922 
2, 117,  545 
1,  909,  910 
1,822,315 
1,  744,  892 

1,  742, 984 
1, 880, 168 

2,  066,  927 
1,909,443 
1,941,392 
2,045,418 
2,  203,  874 
1,  600,  677 
1,  562,  527 
1,638,130 
1 ,  286, 643 
1, 406,  580 


M  feet. 
999,  572 

1,073,419 

1,064,816 
940, 147 
818, 474 
882,  672 
941, 636 
793, 171 
739,  767 
812,  655 
865,  949 

1,060,017 
719,254 
632, 069 
773,  983 


M. 

\  772, 584 
868,  279 

1, 103,  841 
885,  091 
744, 191 
762, 809 
647, 153 
615,132 
557,  201 
389,195 
228,  589 


153,  764 
189,  282 
147,  206 
106,  603 
574,743  I  198,781 


M. 

91, 331 
64, 777 
55, 411 
34,  615 
51.  057 
51,  060 
40,  517 
62,  213 
76,  364 
126,880 
75,  306 
114,880 
85,811 
136, 093 
205, 107 
158,  602 
176,  718 


M. 
863,915 
933, 056 
1,159,252 
919,  706 
795,  248 
813,  869 
687,  670 
677,  345 
633, 565 
515,  575 
303,  895 
395,  206 
239,  575 
325,  375 
352,  313 
265,  205 
372, 499 


Table  II. 
Milwaukee  receipts  and  shipments  of  lumber  and  sltingles  by  lake  and  rail." 


1864. 
1865. 


1871.... 
1872.... 
1873.... 
1874.... 
1875.... 
1876.... 


1878. 
1879. 


Shingles. 


Receipts- 


By  lake.     By  rail.       Total. 


M.feet. 
30, 124 
56,  554 

38, 858 
29, 195 
34,  236 
33,  372 
48,  612 
64,  804 


1884. 
1885. 


1894. 
1895. 


M.feet.   I  M.feet. 

i   31,897 

56,  554 
38,  858 
30, 158 
35,  548 
42,  056 
58,  899 
87,  399 
94,  023 
72,  383 
79,  491 
85,  892 


963 
1.312 

8,684 
10,  287 
22,  595 


7,649 
17,  815 
26,  309 
31,188 
23,  208 
14, 894 
24, 597 
57,  824 
81,450 
86, 147 
79,  661 
94,  241 
89,101 
113,  768 
147,  368 
139,  169 
161,  509 
236, 957 
184,942 
206,  659 
137,  976 
41,726 
51,773 
44,  477 
39,045 


136,  017 
141,460 
132, 376 
145, 010 
141,  883 
132,  990 
180,  722 
190,438 
217,  040 
257, 821 
225, 468 
230, 162 
238,  257 
245,  555 
299, 119 
312,  834 
309,  710 
377,  230 
361,  126 
399, 107 
305,  336 
186,  584 
197,  582 
163,  502 
189,  377 


Ship- 


Receipts — 


By  lake.     By  rail. 


M.feet. 
19,  511 
25,  439 
11,527 


21,  906 
32, 890 
30,  788 
23,  913 
19. 289 
21,811 
16,  245 
29,  791 
36,  455 
35,  305 
40, 916 


48, 920 
51. 049 

"6.5,' 880' 
65,  363 
68,313 
57,  275 
43,  631 
82,  099 
117,  258 
126,  289 
144,846 
194,642 
174,  388 
48,  839 
52,  752 
16,  597 
21,  505 
20,  704 
19, 186 


M. 

12,  871 
19,  601 

13,  385 
7,971 
3.327 
2,589 


26,  296 
35, 524 
17,125 
14,  092 
5,827 
13,  5.50 
10,  061 


81,  600 
7,250 
3,574 
1,303 
1,455 
1,400 
1,400 


23,  259 

69,  974 

31,318 

149,  656 

11,030 

193,  348 

23, 006 

159,410 

32,  543 

142,361 

46,  020 

115,  530 

42,  039 

118,372 

31,447 

101,  249 

35,  853 

151,272 

32,  204 

114, 124 

39,  317 

132,336 

36,  511 

81,730 

42,128 

48,  090 

;   24,  240 

52.  080 

1   10, 920 

58,  700 

i    9, 858 

68,  400 

:      23, 093 

93, 200 

M. 
12,315 

19,  601 
13,385 

7,971 
3,327 
2,589 
19.585 
23,319 

20,  980 
25,  928 
15,143 
31,318 
28,  524 
93, 233 

180,  974 
204,  378 
182,416 
174,  904 
161,. 550 
160,411 
132,  696 
187,  125 
146,328 
171,6.53 
118,241 
90,  218 
76,  320 
69,  620 
78, 258 
116,  293 
134.  726 
107.  896 
42,  774 
20,  699 
15,  395 
7,282 
14, 950 
11,461 


*  Thi.s  table  was  compiled  by  "W.  J.  Langson,  secretary  of  the  Milwaukee  Chamber  of  Commerce- 
Receipts  by  lake  are  based  upon  the  cnstom-house  records,  and  receipts  and  shipments  by  rail  were 
obtained  from  the  railroad  companies. 


102 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


Table  III.— Part  1. 

Eece'ipta  of  linnher  and  shingles  at  Buffalo  hii  Jake  and  rail.* 

[rurnisbed  by  Knowlton  Mixer,  secretary  of  the  Buffalo  Lumber  Exchange.] 


Tear. 

Lumber.                     j                   Shingles. 

By  lake.     By  rail.       Total. 

By  lake. 

By  rail. 

Total. 

1876 

Mfeet. 
119,  146 
141.  572 
176,312 
902  443 

21  feet.   :    Mfeet. 

M. 

M. 

M. 

1878                                  .                    

i                   1 

1879 

1 

214,  16il 
240,  802 
248, 196 

1881 

1 

44.908 

37,  302 
37.616 

I 

1884 

248.  196 

:;::;::::;:::::::::; 

I .'i2.716 

279,  493 
264,  612 
279,  493 
242,  525 
287,  334 
262, 729 
298,  980 
28'J,  751 
239,  525 

58,  582 
36,  705 
58,  582 
36,  331 
73,  500 
44,  905 
42, 165 
50.  807 

1887 

;:;;;;;;;  r  ;;;;;;; 



1889                                                             -   - 

1890 

1892 

636, 344       935, 324 
587,482  I    874.233 

::;:::::::|:::::;:::: 

1894 

410, 000  !     649, 525       105, 112 

....  1 

231,257 

398,448       629,705         92,588  L. ! 

201.277 
221,  302 

409.  095  ,     610,  372  ,     103, 988 
426,870        648.172       110.401 

j 

1897  (estimated) 

12  800  1        123  901 

*  Lake  receipts  are  based  upon  the  cnstom-house  records.  The  rail  receipts  are  taken  from  the 
monthly  reports  of  cars  made  to  the  freijiht  bureau  of  the  Merchants'  Exchange  bj;  the  various 
railroads.  The  imports  and  exports  by  rail  are  estimated  from  the  number  of  cars  obtained  from  the 
railroads,  and  therefore  include  aiiingles  and  laths. 

Table  III.— Part  2. 

Beceipta  of  railway  ties  at  Buffalo,  hy  lake  and  rail.* 
[Data  furnished  by  Knowlton  Mixer,  secretary  of  the  Buffalo  Lumber  Exchange.] 


Tear. 

By  lake. 

By  rail.   ! 

Tear. 

By  lake. 

By  rail. 

1882 

No. 
840,200 
275, 920 
too.  000 
87,  500 
54,  780 
93,  080 
196,  600 
442,  570 

No. 
150,000 
550.  000 
180,  000 
200,  000 
100,  000 
50,  000 
75,  000 
155,000 

1890      . 

No. 
197, 110 
238,  570 
312,  500 
253, 000 
196, 117 
133. 928 
199,  044 
328, 052 

No.- 
150, 000 

1883  .... 

1891... 
1892  . . . 
1893 

139,000 

1884 

411,520 

1885 

175, 000 

1894... 

1896;;'. 

275,  000 

1887 

263,  500 

1888.... 

190,  800 

*  Lake  receipts  are  based  upon  the  custom-house  records.  The  rail  receipts  are  taken  from  the 
monthly  reports  of  cars  made  to  the  freight  bureau  of  the  Merchants'  Exchange  by  the  various  rail- 
roads. 

Table  IV. 
Receipts  of  lumher,  laths,  and  shingles  at  Tonaumnda  by  lake.* 


Lumber.a 

Laths. 

Shingles. 

Lumber.  & 

Laths. 

Shingles. 

1887 

Mfeet. 
501,  536 
569.522 
676,017 
717,650 
505,512 
1 

M. 

10,  096 
14,  617 
11, 506 
13,  039 

8,209 

21. 

63,  435 

64,  903 

52!  232 
52, 561 

1892 

Mfeet. 

498,000 

430,248 

M. 

6,243 
13,  232 
8,495 
8,547 
7,195 

If. 
42,  809 

1888 

25,  257 

1889 

1894 

1895 

406, 907 

421  372 

31,  468 

1890 

41,310 

1831 

35, 823 

*  Report  of  the  Buffalo  Merchants'  Exchange,  1896,  p.  119. 
a  Timber  not  included. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


103 


Table  V. 
Receipts  of  lumber,  shinf/Ies,  l<(ths,  a7id  miscellaneous  lumber  at  Cleveland  by  rail  and  lake.*" 


Lumber. 

Shin 

?le8. 

Laths. 

By  lake. 

By  rail. 

Total. 

By  lake. 

Total. 

By  lake. 

Total. 

M  feet. 

Mfeet. 

M  feet. 
83, 038 
120,911 
142,  445 
158,  220 
180,  000 
173, 866 

M. 

M. 

39,  294 
60,  842 
69. 816 
74, 921 
91,  888 
131, 102 

M. 

iur. 

14, 381 

26, 650 

37, 850 

1868 

42,  021 

1869 

36, 438 

1870 

158,866 
220,  584 

191,  079 

192,  448 
167,  768 
140,  980 
102,  609 
154, 144 
119,817 
208,  393 
231,263 
321, 130 
317,  810 
350,  696 
329, 791 

108,  002 
115,  819 
70,  597 
81,  919 
78,  691 
78,  945 
73,  565 
112, 280 

101,  205 
125,112 

96,  797 
112, 142 
112,369 

102,  430 
86,  072 

63, 173 
47,711 
41,562 
26,  745 
41.  538 
3,510 
34,  318 
140,  488 
31,  796 
21,  081 
19,  461 
29,  287 
34, 457 
36,  807 
31,273 

63, 173 

1871 

1876 

1878 

1880 

1881 

1883 

:::::::::: 

j 

1 

1S«8 

j 

18SQ 

j 

495,  984 
564,  222 
714,476 
210,  636 
247, 078 
351,  883 
244,  765 
229,  971 

60, 998 
32,  882 
152,  733 
187, 483 
56, 826 
45,  599 
54, 709 
44, 158 

18,  537 
24,  598 
35,  795 
36, 324 
22,  762 
12, 199 
6,913 
16, 413 

18Q3 

1895 

130,  545 
153,  750 
187,275 
174.  225 

377,  623 
505,  633 
432,  040 
404, 196 

1897 

'^  The  receipts  of  lumber  by  rail  also  include  the  receipts  of  shingles  and  laths.  Lake  receipts  o 
lumber  1890-1897  include  all  kinds  of  forest  products  other  than  shingles  and  laths,  as  logs,  posts,  and 
telephone  poles.    Keceipts  by  lake  are  based  upon  the  custom-house  reports. 

Table  VI. 

Receipts  of  lumber  and  sliiiif/les  at  Toledo  by  lake.* 


Tear. 

Lumber. 

Shingles. 1 

Tear. 

Lumber. 

Shingles. 

Mfeet. 
197,  Oil 
225,  350 
218, 000 
224,  000 
216,  000 
230,  000 
160,  000 
182,000 
335,  000 

M. 

15,  505 
8,597 
3,838 

12,  600 
9,400 

10,100 
2,500 
6,100 
4,200 

M  feet. 
168,  000 
192,  000 
178,  000 
173, 000 
156,  000 
144,  000 
159, 000 
127,  000 
122,  000 

M. 

3,620 

1881 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896                                 

4,929 

1882      

685 

1883 

400 

2,420 

1885 

2,075 

2,  200 

1887 

400 

1888 

1897 

2,300 

This  table  was  furnished  by  Denisou  B.  J^mitli,  secretary  of  the  Toledo  Produce  Exc 


104  STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

Table  VII. 
Beeeipts  and  shipments  of  liimier  and  shingles  at  Detroit  by  lake  and  rail.* 


Lumber. 

Shingles. 

Year. 

Receipts 
by  lake. 

Receipts 
by  rail. 

Total 
receipts. 

Total 
ship- 
ments. 

Receipts 
by  lake. 

Receipts 
by  rail. 

Total 
receipts. 

Total 
ship- 
ments. 

M.feet. 
97,  665 
78, 191 
95,  752 
102,  073 
113,277 
78,  085 

48,  459 
54,  789 
54, 429 

49,  935 

M.feet. 

69, 102 
161,  694 
206,  895 
197, 774 
185, 404 
184,  538 
156,  662 
194, 180 
139, 270 

83, 860 

M.feet. 
166, 867 
239,  885 
302,  647 
299,847 
298,  681 
262,  623 
205, 211 
248,  969 
193,  699 
133, 795 

M.feet. 
U,n5 

58, .  -sg 

36,  SCi 
41,  750 
63,  753 
34,  202 

20,  946 
26,  641 

21.  066 
16, 970 

M. 

None. 

3,339 

560 

-  1,750 

None. 

908 

752 

2,420 

400 

M. 

30, 712 
106,  338 
37,  670 
66,  6U0 
117,  530 
116,  270 
105, 980 
96,  950 
95,  760 
63, 070 

M. 

30, 712 
109,  677 
38,  2:!0 
68,  350 
120,  365 
116,  270 
106,  888 
97,  702 
98, 180 
63, 470 

M. 
20, 999 

1886 

41,  960 

44,100 

1888        ..           .   ... 

58,  300 

1889 

82,  390 

36, 120 

1891                       

10,  640 

1892 

8,330 

10, 430 

1894                     

7,350 

'  This  table  was  compiled  by  the  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Trade. 

Bates  for  unloading  lumier  from  vessels  at  Chicago  during  the  season  of  1S97A 

Pine  lumber,  per  1,000  feet: 

1-inch  and  li-inch $0.20 

li-inch  and  2-inch 22 

3-inch 24 

Pickets  and  shingles  to  rate  with  inch  lumber. 

Piece  stuff,  per  1,000  feet 22 

Laths  to  rate  with  piece  stuff. 

Timbers,  per  1,000  feet 28 

Lumber  and  timber,  20  feet  and  over  in  length,  3  cents  extra  per  1,000  feet. 

Hemlock  and  basswood,  per  1,000  feet : 

1-inch 22 

2-inch 21 

3-iuch 28 

Hemlock  timber 30 

Hard- wood  lumber,  per  1,000  feet : 

1,  li,  U,and2inch 28 

3-iuch  '. 32 

4-inch 36 

Lnml)er  half  regular  rate  for  all  grades  for  keeping  dock. 

All  vessels  carrying  over  500,000  feet  of  lumber,  per  1,000  feet  extra  for  entire 
cargo 05 

Ties: 

Oak,  per  tie 02 

Hemlock,  on  vessels  10  feet  deep  and  under  in  depth,  each Olf 

Hemlock,  on  vessels  over  10  feet  in  depth,  each 02 

Cedar,  per  tie 01^ 

On  Santa  Fe  dock 01^ 

Peeled  posts,  per  1 ,000 6. 00 

Bark  posts,  per  1,000 7.00 

$2  extra  per  1,000  for  keeping  dock. 

Telegraph  poles,  each : 

25-foot 03 

30-foot 05 

35-foot 08 

40-fbot : 12 


Rates  charged  by  the  Unloaders'  Union. 


STATISTICS    OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 


105 


Bates  for  unloading  lumher  from  vessels  at  Tonawanda  during  the  season  of  1897.^ 

The  rate  for  uiiloadiug  wliite  aud  Norway  pine  from  barges  and  steamers  of  12^ 
feet  in  deptli  of  hold,  or  less,  Government  register,  was  22  cents  jier  M  until  October  1, 
and  24  cents  per  M  from  October  1  until  the  end  of  the  season.     Other  rates  were : 

Cents. 

Birch per  M..       35 

ISlaple do....       35 

Ash do 35 

Oak do....       40 

Basswood do 24 

Elm do 26 

Hemlock do 25 

I     30 
Bill  timber do..  I  „^  A 

Round  cedar  posts each . .  ^ 

Split  posts do ^ 

Cedar  railroad  ties do 1^ 

Table  VIII. 

Freight  rates  on  lumber  {per  1,000  feet)  from  Alpena,  Manistee,  Menominee,  Ashland,  and 
Duluth,  to  Chicago  by  lake.  * 


1877 

$1.31 
1.14 

1878 

1880 

2.22 

1881 

2  01 

1885 

1  64 

1886 

1887 

2.53 

Alpena. 


Manis-  Menom-     Ash- 
tee,        inee.       land. 


.$1.  27 
1.34 
1.77 
2.12 
2.18 
1.78 
1.85 
1.70 
1.4b 
1.58 
1.94 


$].46 
1.87 
2.27 
2.17 
1.80 
1.85 
1.59 
1.54 
1.66 
2.11 


Alpena.  ^,^"*«-  ;Menom 
^  tee.        mee. 


$2. 12 
3.15 


1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 


$1.90 
1.59 
1.74 
1.69 
1.81 
1.61 
1.41 
1.36 
1.16 


$1.49 
1.42 
1.58 
1.59 
1.62 
1.46 
1.32 
1.22 
1.14 
1.13 


$1.57 
1.40 
1.66 
1.59 
1.67 
1.48 

l!27 
1.20 
1.10 


Ash- 
land. 


$2.73 
2.42 
2.51 
2.44 
2.91 
2.36 
2.00 
2.18 
1.85 
1.67 


*The  rates  from  Duluth,  Superior,  aud  the  other  pi  rt.s  at  the  head  of  Late  Superior  are  almost 
always  the  same  as  those  from  Ashlaud.  This  table  is  based  on  the  weekly  rates  publfshed  by  the 
Northwestern  Lumberman,  which  takes  great  pains  to  have  its  quotations  correct. 

Table  IX. 

Production  of  lumber  in  the  Northwest,  * 


Tear. 

M.feet. 

Year. 

M.feet. 

Tear. 

M.feet. 

Tear. 

M.  feet. 

1873 

3,  393, 780 

1880 

5, 651, 295 

1887. 

7,  757,  916 

1894 

6, 763, 110 

1874 

3, 751,  306 

1881 

6,  768,  8.56 

188S 

8,  388,  716 

1895 

7,  093,  398 

1875 

3,  968, 553 

1882 

7, 552, 150 

1889 

8,  305,  833 

1896 

5, 538, 112 

1876 

3,  879,  046 

1883 

7,  624,  789 

1890 

8, 664,  504 

1897 

6, 233, 454 

1877 

3,  595,  333 

1884 

7,  935,  033 

1891 

7,  943,  137 

1878 

3,629,472 

1885 

7,  053,  094 

1892 

8,  902,  748 

1879 

4,806,943 

1886 

7,425,368 

1893 

7,  599, 748 

*This  table  includes  the  Ivimbei  produced  from  the  logs  cut  in  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota, 
and  from  logs  imported  from  Ontario  and  sawed  in  Michigan  or  at  Lake  Erie  ports.  Logs  from  Minne- 
sota and  Wisconsin  are  floated  down  the  Mississippi  in  large  numbers  to  various  cities  and  there 
sawed.    The  lumber  produced  is  included. 

This  table  was  compiled  by  the  Northwestern  Lumberman.  The  details  may  be  found  in  the  issues 
of  this  paper  of  January  23,  1897,  and  January  22,  1898. 


The  Marine  Record,  May  13,  1897,  p.  9. 


H.  Doc.  277 8 


106  STATISTICS  OF    LAKE    COMMERCE. 

ACKNOWLEDaMENT. 

Ill  the  preparation  of  the  foregoing-  report  the  following  persons  have 
rendered  material  assistance:  Frank  E.  VVyuiaii,  secretary  of  the  Dnluth 
Board  of  Trade;  William  Thnrstone,  secretary  of  the  Bnffalo  Mer- 
chants' Exchange;  W,  J.  Langson,  secretary  of  the  Milwaukee  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce;  George  F.  Stone,  secretary  of  the  Chicago  Board  of 
Trade;  G.  D,  Kogers,  secretary  of  the  Minneapolis  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce; J.  C.  Brown,  statistician  of  the  Xew  Y'ork  Produce  Exchange; 
F.  A.  Scott,  assistant  secretary  of  the  Cleveland  Chamber  of  Commerce; 
J.  M.  Mulrooney,  editor  of  the  Marine  Keview;  Capt.  John  Swainsou, 
editor  of  the  Marine  Kecord;  A.  I.  Mndley,  editor  of  The  Iron  Trade 
Review;  James  Peabody,  editor  of  the  Railway  and  Engineering 
Review;  John  B.  Lucas,  editor  of  the  Black  Diamond;  II.  A.  Bischolf, 
of  the  Chicago  Bureau  of  Coal  Statistics;  The  Brown  Hoisting  and 
Conveying  Company;  John  McMyler,  of  the  McMyler  Manufacturing 
Company;  A.  B.  Wolvin,  president  of  The  Zenith  Transit  Company; 
B.  L.  Pennington,  of  Cleveland;  Melion  Pattison,  Capt.  J.  S.  Dun- 
ham, Frankhu  H.  Head,  George  Merry  weather,  VV.  S.  Bogle,  E.  C. 
Chandler,  George  W,  Hotchkiss,  O.  S.  Whitmore,  of  Chicago;  W.  I. 
Babcock,  manager  of  the  Chicago  Shipbuilding  Company;  W.  J. 
Olcott,  vice  president  of  Diiluth,  Mesaba  and  Northern  Railroad  Com- 
pany; J.  L.  Greatsinger,  i^resident  of  the  Dulnth  and  Iron  Range  Rail- 
road Company,  and  E.  D.  Cowles,  of  Saginaw. 

lamalso  indebted  to  the  following  gentlemen  for  valuable  aid:  Thomas 
Owens,  superintendent  of  the  Dulnth  and  Iron  Range  Railroad  Com- 
pany; H.  H.  Campbell  of  the  Pennsylvania  Steel  Comi)any;  J.  H. 
Morford,  William  Richardson,  F.  S.  Peabody,  A.  I,  Valentine,  of 
Chicago;  P.  G.  Cook,  secretary  of  Western  Elevating  Association; 
L.  M.  Bowers,  general  manager  of  the  Bessemer  Steamship  Company; 
W.  G.  Mather,  president  of  the  Lake  Superior  and  Ishpeming  Railway 
Company;  James  Pickands,  president  of  the  Minnesota  Steamship  Com- 
pany; L.  C.  Hanna,  j)resident  of  the  Menominee  Transit  Company; 
W.  D.  Rees,  treasurer  of  the  Lake  Superior  Iron  Comi^any ;  Alexander 
Backus,  president  Vulcan  Iron  Works,  and  R.  L.  Ireland,  assistant 
secretary  of  the  Globe  Iron  Works. 


%.i 


BEAEY, 


TB 


14  DAY  USE 

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